Like Their Team, Clemson D-Line Hasn’t Lived Up to Expectations

It has been an up-and-down year for Tigers' defensive front

Jason Priester All Clemson

CLEMSON, S.C. —Though the Clemson Tigers will be playing for an ACC Championship this Saturday, the 2022 season has not gone the way many would have thought.

Granted, the Tigers were predicted by the league’s media, back in July, to advance to the ACC Championship and ultimately win it. However, the way in which Clemson has come down this road is not what they expected.

They thought they would be undefeated and playing for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Instead, they are 10-2 and are coming off their first loss to rival South Carolina in nine years.

“Things don’t always go the way you want it to go. There is just so much we can learn from it,” Clemson defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, an All-ACC honorable mention, said.

Clemson’s overall season has sort of mirrored the year its defensive line has had. Though they have been really good at times, they have not quite lived up to the expectations from the preseason.

Coming into the football season, many believed the Tigers had the best defensive line in the country. Some were comparing them to the Power Rangers line of 2018 or Vic Beasley and Company from 2014.

But they never reached that potential.

There were warning signs early that this was not going to be their year. Defensive end Xavier Thomas broke a bone in his left foot during the first scrimmage of preseason camp, causing him to miss the first five games of the season. Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee lost his younger sister to cancer just three weeks into the season, which is a lot to deal with in normal circumstances, much less while trying to balance college classes and football practice every day.

Then Thomas’ foot injury reared its ugly head a few weeks back, which required more surgery, ending his season prematurely.

“They are two of the strongest people I know,” Orhorhoro said. “XT came back for a fifth year. I am sure he was not planning on hurting his foot. And re-hurting it. I just pray for him. You see what Bryan has been dealing with and seeing how strong he is and how strong the family is.

“It really brings us closer and keeps reminding us daily that (life) is a lot deeper than football. There is so much more to it than the eye can see. These are bonds we will have for the rest of our lives and moments like that will only make us stronger.”

Going into Saturday’s ACC Championship game against North Carolina, Clemson’s numbers on defense have been good, but nowhere near what everyone expected.

“There were guys missing here or there. Bryan battling what he was battling. XT battling what he was battling. What he is still battling right now. It was not the kind of year we wanted, but there is still so much football left to play,” Orhorhoro said. “Who knows what will happen these next few games.”

Want to join in on the discussion? 100% FREE! Interact with fellow Tiger fans and hear directly from publisher Zach Lentz, deputy editor Brad Senkiw, recruiting analyst Jason Priester and staff writer Will Vandervort on any subject. Click here to become a member of the ALL CLEMSON message board community today!
Get your Tiger tickets from SI Tickets HERE
Do us a HUGE favor and like, subscribe and follow us on social media:
►LIKE us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allclemson
►SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/AllClemson
►FOLLOW All Clemson on Twitter:https://twitter.com/All_Clemson
More on All Clemson: /college/clemson/