The Clemson football program has officially ended spring camp and it will be several more months before we have the opportunity to see the Tigers on the field again.
Defensively, the unit took to heart the 49-28 beatdown administered by Ohio State to end the 2020 season and there was a fire in them as they went through spring practice looking to improve and get more physical after the disappointing loss just a couple of months ago.
As the spring practice season has come to an end, let’s take a look at some of the top performers for Clemson.
The Clemson football player who had the best spring at each position defensively
Defensive End: Myles Murphy, Justin Mascoll
Myles Murphy has been an absolute monster this spring and he has basically cemented himself as a starter on the defensive line.
With Xavier Thomas limited for some of the spring and with KJ Henry out due to injury, Justin Mascoll has been playing with the first-team and he has done an excellent job. Those two guys- above everyone else- have stood out at the defensive end position.
Defensive Tackle: Bryan Bresee
Dabo Swinney said he notices Bryan Bresee every single practice and that’s saying something. Tyler Davis has had a nice spring, as well, but there’s no doubting the talent and dominance of Bresee.
Linebacker: Trenton Simpson
Trenton Simpson is going to be the starter at SAM this year, but he got work at all three linebacker positions during the spring. Simpson is going to be a major star and he showed that in the spring as a playmaker at all three levels of the defense.
Cornerback: Andrew Booth Jr.
Andrew Booth Jr. is going to be a force to be reckoned with and there’s really no other way around it. Booth Jr. is a ballhawk and a guy who could develop into a first-round level cornerback. He showed those flashes in the spring and has lined himself up ahead of his teammates heading into the summer.
Safety: Joseph Charleston, RJ Mickens, Tyler Venables
It’s tough to really pick out a safety who had the best spring simply because the two expected starters- Nolan Turner and Lannden Zanders- were out.
As a result, we saw a lot of Joseph Charleston, RJ Mickens and Tyler Venables. All three have shown flashes, but we wouldn’t say that any are ready for starter-level reps yet, though they’re certainly getting there.