Clemson Football: Position of Need – Defensive End

With no less than three senior defensive ends listed on their 2022 roster and junior Myles Murphy likely headed to the NFL after this season, Clemson football knows that defensive end is a position of need in the 2023 class.

The emphasis is on if, because the COVID year of 2020 has added chaos to roster management and projections and will for a couple more seasons.

If those four (Thomas, Henry, Mascoll and Murphy) do indeed leave after the season that would leave only 4 scholarship players on the roster:  Kevin Swint (JR), Greg Williams (JR-RS), Cade Denhoff (FR-RS), Zaire Patterson (FR-RS) and Jaheim Lawson (FR).

Not quite the level the Tigers are used to at the position.

To that end, Clemson is looking at at least five defensive ends in the 2023 class, including Malik Bryant, Kelby Collins, Keldric Faulk, Vic Burley and Matayo Uiagalelei.

Despite the family connection with Uiagalelei and the younger Uiagalelei anticipated to be at the spring game, the only one of the group the Tigers appear to have more than an above average shot at is Burley.

A five star in the 247 composite, Burley is a 6-5, 276 pound athlete from Warner Robins, Georgia and is ranked as the 35th overall recruit in the nation in the composite.

A versatile, long lineman, with an 81 inch wingspan, Burley is athletic enough to play tight end on offense.

Burley’s visited Georgia recently and seemed to have a good time, for what that’s worth.

Obviously, Burley, the number 5 defensive lineman in the country and second ranked player in the state of Georgia would be a huge get and he’s currently got a Crystal Ball prediction (from last fall) in favor of the Tigers.

That said, potentially losing four defensive ends and gaining one is not the optimal recruiting equation.

A quick mention of five star defensive end, Peter Woods who we mentioned in an earlier update. There’s some debate on where he’ll play at the next level, on the edge or inside, as he’s shown the ability to play multiple positions, so I didn’t include him in this group.

As we’ve detailed before, Clemson is very selective in their recruiting process, make view offers and then expand the board as needed, when it becomes clear they need to move on.

A prominent example of this was the recruitment of freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik, who wasn’t offered until March of 2021, once it became clear Ty Simpson was headed to Tuscaloosa.

The coaches were up front with Klubnik and it worked out in that instance that the Tigers ended up with one of the top quarterbacks in the nation when all was said and one.

It won’t always work out to the Tigers benefit and this might be one of those instances.