Sorry UGA, Clemson football has the best DL in the country
The Clemson football defensive line is the best in the country.
Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne get all of the headlines for Clemson football but let’s not forget about the Tigers defensive line. There isn’t a better collective group in college football.
Sure, SEC and UGA fans will disagree with this statement given how good the defensive line in Athens is (make no mistake, they are elite) but Clemson football has something that the Dawgs don’t have – depth.
Devonte Wyatt, Julian Rochester, Jordan Davis, Tymon Mitchell, Malik Herring, and Travon Walker are all really elite level players for UGA and have done a tremendous job of anchoring the Dawgs defense while the offensive figures things out – slowly.
When you look at Clemson’s defensive line they are big, strong, fast and deeper than anyone in the country including UGA.
When you look at both groups, Tyler Davis is far and away the most talented defensive lineman on both rosters. He is a special special talent who will be a top 10 NFL draft pick after his junior season. Add in freshman phenoms Bryan Bresee, Myles Murphy, as well as K.J. Henry, Justin Mascoll, and Jordan Williams and they are the best group in the country.
Now add in the depth for Clemson football.
Players like Nyles Pinckney, Darnell Jefferies, and Xavier Thomas still either haven’t played or have taken very few snaps due to injuries. All three of those guys were expected to be starters in 2020 but have had to take a step back and that has allowed the younger guys to step up early.
In the case of Xavier Thomas, he is among the most talented defensive ends in the country and was expected to be a late first-round pick in the 2021 NFL had he chosen to come out.
The 2019 season was one where Clemson was very thin up front with experience after four NFL draft picks after their 2018 National title. The Tigers defense was strong enough on the backend to allow the young guys to develop and we are seeing the results of that this year.
Next. Defensive end Xavier Thomas returns for the Tigers. dark
Not taking anything away from the elite UGA defensive line, but the Clemson football defensive line has more talent and is loaded with depth pieces that would be starting at most other schools around the country.