Clemson football: 3 perceived weaknesses & how the Tigers address them

Secondary

Many outside of the Clemson football program have pointed to the embarrassing Ohio State loss- where the Buckeyes absolutely dismantled the Tiger defense- as reason to believe that Clemson has a problem in the defensive backfield.

They point to the departure of Derion Kendrick as even more ‘evidence’ that this group is questionable and will have trouble dealing with elite passing attacks, like Oklahoma for example.

The problem is that they don’t understand the dynamic of what was happening last year or the emergence that we’ve seen from some talented players this offseason already.

First of all, Kendrick was not the best cornerback on the team last year despite what many national pundits will say. He was sidelined much more often than he was on the field and when he did get opportunities to play, he was out of position far too often.

In addition, Clemson also struggled with injuries all across the defense that manifested themselves especially as the season progressed. Lastly, the pass-rush was about as weak as we’ve seen in recent years under Brent Venables. That concoction led to a lot of pressure being placed on the secondary and they folded.

How do they address it and how do they get better this time around? The answer starts up front.

Clemson had one of its worst pass-rushes in recent history last season, but the Tigers are set to have one of the best- and deepest- defensive lines in the country this time around. When you’re getting pressure on the quarterback, it makes the job of the defensive backs a lot easier.

In addition to getting help from up-front, you’ve got to look at the personnel. Clemson fans are excited about names like Andrew Booth Jr. and Malcolm Greene, who both showed flashes of greatness last season. They’re excited about the potential of young guys like Sheridan Jones, Fred Davis, RJ Mickens and Joseph Charleston. There is veteran leadership like Nolan Turner, Lannden Zanders and Mario Goodrich.

Though there’s got to be some depth development this season, there’s no doubt that the Tigers have talent on that backend.