Clemson Defense Motivated by Winning

Clemson defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro says the Clemson defense is motivated by winning and that instead of being compared to past defensive fronts, the group would prefer to set their own standard inside the program.

After struggling with injuries and eventually taking a medical redshirt last season, Ruke Orhorhoro is finally starting to make his mark on the Clemson defense.

After filling in admirably for an unavailable Tyler Davis, in what was his first career start in the season-opening loss to Georgia, Orhorhoro turned in what was arguably his best performance to date against S.C. State. The third-year defensive tackle was credited with a team-high six tackles, including two tackles for loss, and was named one of the team's defensive players of the game.

Through two games, the Clemson defense has yet to allow an opponent to reach the end zone and a lot of the credit goes to just how well the defensive front has played. Orhorhoro told the media on Monday that after the disheartening loss to Ohio State in last season's Sugar Bowl, the entire defense was motivated to atone for the lackluster performance against the Buckeyes.

"Everybody was just really self-motivated," Orhorhoro said. "It was just a different feeling in the air. Just seeing guys here after we came off that loss to see guys here like the next day, you know, working out and stuff. That just showed me that this team was gonna be special, and these guys were ready to handle some business. You know, we're motivated by winning."

In fact, Clemson's defensive line has played so well through the first two games that there have been comparisons to what was arguably the Tigers' best defensive line of all time, the Power Rangers. That front consisted of Clelin Ferrell, Austin Bryant, Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins, with three of those players going on to be first-round draft picks.

However, Orhorhoro says this year's group isn't concerned with any of that talk and would prefer to set a new standard inside the program.

"They were great guys and stuff but we want to make our own standard," Orhorhoro said. "We just want to be better than the next and just keep going on and on and maybe set the new standard."

When asked how good this Clemson defensive line can be, Orhorhoro said the sky is the limit and that the Tigers are benefitting from the kind of depth that most other programs do not currently have.

"I think we are a really special group," Orhorhoro said. "I mean, not many guys can go out there and do all the different combinations that we have. There's no drop-off. There's just so many guys you could throw out there, just keeping guys fresh and stuff. I think we can be a really special group." 

While Orhorhoro is now starting to come into his own as a football player, there was a time when he thought basketball was the key to his future. It wasn't until after his sophomore season in high school that he decided to give football a try.

"I was pretty tall in middle school, and I thought I'd grow to be like seven-foot," Orhorhoro said. "But after my sophomore year, I just accepted that I won't grow anymore. I just wanted to look for other opportunities and started playing football. I fell in love with it."

For most, transitioning from basketball to football so late in life would be a difficult process. In the case of Orhorhoro, that's not exactly how it played out, and making that move is now starting to really pay off.

"The conditioning and stuff was always there, and just that grind" Orhorhoro said. "I played at River Rouge Basketball, it's a pretty good school. Great at basketball. We go to the state championship every year. And just that drive and that passion for the game of basketball just translated to football and I just fell in love with it."

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