Clemson's Defense Ready to Prove it's One of Nation's Best

No. 4 Clemson is getting healthy on defense and improving at the same time. That could make life tough on opponents down the stretch of the 2022 season.

© Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

No. 4 Clemson was lauded in the preseason for its defense. 

Many college football pundits believed it would be, or at least could be, the best stop unit in the country. 

Through the first half of the season, the Tigers have yet to earn that accolade. They rank 24th nationally in total defense and 25th in scoring defense. They're second against the run but 95th in passing defense. 

It's been a solid group thus far, but not quite the dominant unit many people, including those on the team, were expecting. 

That might be about to change, though. Clemson's had health issues both along the defensive front and in the secondary, but defensive linemen Xavier Thomas, Bryan Bresee, Tré Williams, cornerbacks Sheridan Jones and Malcolm Greene and safeties R.J. Mickens and Tyler Venables are all available this week. 

"With everybody back healthy, I really feel like we're gonna be the best defense in the country," Clemson linebacker Trenton Simpson said. "Seeing (Thomas) back out there and making plays (at Boston College) was exciting as a teammate because i know the work he's put in and what he's had to go through so just being a linebacker and having everybody healthy, especially on that front line is going to be beneficial for everybody."

The Tigers have done well to survive the injury bug. They are 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the ACC heading into Saturday's 7:30 p.m. rivalry game at Florida State. And in the last two wins against NC State and Boston College, Clemson gave up 533 total yards and 68 rushing yards combined. 

"I think that goes to how much depth we have," Simpson said. "We got depth at every position. Everybody's prepared to play every week and our game plan, our coaches put us in great situation. So I feel like it's also a players thing, but it's it's coaching also, putting us in the right position and be successful."

The Tigers have seemed to turn a corner after a bad game at Wake Forest. The defense allowed 447 total yards, including 337 passing yards, and head coach Dabo Swinney said his group was "embarrassed" by that performance. The Tigers still won, 51-45 in double overtime.

"We're playing better," Swinney said Tuesday. "I think these last couple of weeks we've played our best football defensively. We've cleaned some things up on the back end. We've played with a little bit more discipline, a little bit more attention to details. I think it's a reflection of how we've practiced."

All of the pieces are coming together at the right time to make a big push in the second half of the season. Thomas and Bresee give that defensive front the look everyone was expecting all season, but they've yet to play a down together in 2022. 

Jones brings some stability back to the secondary, and if the young cornerbacks built Clemson's functional depth up, this defensive unit can be the catalyst that takes the Tigers a long way.

"It's definitely gonna be a fun ride," Thomas said. "Just knowing all the things that we've been through as a defensive line, we haven't been able to really play together fully healthy. And coming down the stretch it's going to be really important with the goals that we want to achieve by winning the national championship. So it's really, really going to be fun."

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