Clemson football: Pair of Tiger defenders ranked in top 7 NFL prospects

Dec 19, 2020; Charlotte, NC, USA; Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is dunked with sports drink by freshmen defensive lineman Bryan Bresee (11) and defensive end Myles Murphy (98) during the fourth quarter of the ACC Championship game against Notre Dame at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 19, 2020; Charlotte, NC, USA; Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is dunked with sports drink by freshmen defensive lineman Bryan Bresee (11) and defensive end Myles Murphy (98) during the fourth quarter of the ACC Championship game against Notre Dame at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

We often talk about highly rated  recruits that become busts, but Clemson football has two that have developed into NFL stars in the making.

There’s no doubt defense will be the strong suit of the 2022 Clemson football team.

Sure, the offense will need to improve if the Tigers harbor any hopes of playing for another National Championship, but the deep, talented, defensive line will play a huge role if the Tigers are going to make it that far.

The Tigers have future NFL stars at every level of the defense, and this is no slight at the others, but two the two Tigers that are the highest ranked prospects for one site are Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee.

Murphy, a 6’5, 275 pound man-child from Hill Grove High School in Marietta, Georgia racked up 43 tackles, a team-high 14.0 tackles for loss,  7.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups in 549 snaps over 13 games in 2021 as the Tigers posted a 10-3 mark.

Murphy has lived up to every bit of his billing in high school where he was ranked as the 7th best recruit overall and 138th best of all time.

Bresee, a 6’5, 300 pounder from Damascus High School in Damascus, Maryland came in as the number one overall recruit in the same class, while being listed as the 18th all time best recruit.

Bresee was a freshman All-American in 2020, the second ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in Clemson history and has 48 tackles, including 9.5 for loss, 5.5 sacks, two pass breakups, an interception, forced fumble and a safety in 586 snaps, despite missing a significant portion of 2021 due to injury.

Murphy and Bresee may be the best two defensive linemen in the nation

Simply put these are two of the best defensive linemen in the country, bar none and if they are able to remain healthy, will undoubtedly be high on every NFL teams wish lists next April.

These are the guys that will make Trenton Simpson and Andrew Mukuba’s jobs easier by pressuring the quarterback and stopping the running game cold.

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