Clemson Spring Game: What to Watch for on the Defensive Line
Although they won't be able to partake in their favorite pastime of sacking the quarterback, the Clemson defensive linemen should feel they have something to prove in Saturday's spring game at Memorial Stadium.
With health an afterthought following injury issues in 2020, head coach Dabo Swinney has salivated about the potential for 2021's front four all spring and has raved up and down the depth chart from sophomore Bryan Bresee to early enrollee Payton Page.
The Tigers' spring game offers defensive line coaches Todd Bates and Lamanski Hall a glimpse to see what depth can genuinely be impactful behind the returning starters and to see if the massive progression of Bresee and Tyler Davis Swinney alluded to is valid.
Here are three things to watch for during Saturday's public and televised scrimmage:
1. Has Myles Murphy improved his pass rush?: Graded as one of the best run stoppers in college football as a freshman, Murphy made the most of filling in for the injured Xavier Thomas in his first year. Mentioning he thought his run-stopping ability was 'average' at best in 2020 to the media, Murphy won't be able to hit the quarterback on Saturday but can show how seriously he took his own pass-rushing evaluation. Murphy will have his hands full with the committee of talented Tiger running backs as is, but the spring game could give a glimpse of a new and improved edge rusher in Clemson.
2. Are Bresee and Davis as good as advertised?: The now healthy defensive line pairing has been so good this spring, Swinney hasn't been able to stay silent about it. In his second year, Bresee supercharged his development as a freshman filling in for his new partner in crime and third-year Davis. Davis is the more natural run stuffer and has rubbed off and taken Bresee's run improvement seriously this spring, with Swinney adding, "There's not a day that goes by I don't notice No. 11". If the sophomore stud can show signs of a more rounded out game on Saturday, the thought of Davis beside him in the fall only becomes more frightening for opposing fans and equally as tantalizing for the Clemson coaching staff.
3. The young guys: Early enrollee Payton Page is one of a few that have made their presence known in their short time on campus. Along with Cade Denhoff, the mid-year enrollees can step into Death Valley for the first time Saturday, and all that's necessary is to prove they belong. Highlights are always a plus, but getting antsy and creating penalties-a massive problem in the Tigers' second scrimmage per Swinney-will not serve to any of their aspirations in orange and white. No longer are these 300 pounds 18-year-olds the most prominent presence on the field, and Saturday will either deliver a rude wake-up call or hope for player and coach as Clemson prepares to move past spring practice.
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