The linebacker position is arguably the heart of a team’s defense. With plenty to do while on the field, it is challenging to be an excellent player in this position. Having a great linebacker room can give a team a lot of success. For Clemson football this year, the linebacker room gives the Tigers yet another reason to repeat as ACC champions this year and make a push for the College Football Playoff.
The Starters
There will be a few new faces in the linebacker position for the Tigers this fall. But first, there are two familiar faces that Clemson fans are excited to see return.
First is Barrett Carter, who will be entering his junior year with the team in the 2023 season. He erupted in his sophomore year, making 73 tackles with 41 being solo. The Suwanee, Georgia native had 5.5 sacks in 2022, adding two forced fumbles and interceptions as well. The linebacker will most likely play on the weak side, simply because of his athleticism and ability to get to the quarterback and blow up plays in the backfield. Carter’s role will certainly increase due to former teammate Trenton Simpson’s departure from Death Valley to the NFL. A potentially high draft pick in next year’s draft, he has all the tools to be one of the best linebackers in the country and help lead one of the best defenses in the country.
Returning with Carter is fellow junior Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who will make up a two-headed monster to help the defense. Trotter is coming off a phenomenal sophomore year where he led the team in tackles. A third-team All-American last year, Trotter had 6.5 sacks and two interceptions for the Tigers, one of those being a pick-six in Clemson’s final home game against South Carolina. Perhaps the biggest upside out of the linebacker room, Trotter will most likely slot into the middle linebacker position, and he certainly has the leadership to take the role.
Filling the presence of Trenton Simpson will certainly be a tough task, but the Tigers have plenty of talent in the depth chart to help support Carter and Trotter. Rising sophomore Wade Woodaz is poised to be the next man up for the Tigers. Woodaz had 20 tackles with 5.5 being for a loss of yards. The sophomore also had 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Woodaz helped fill the role of Simpson during the Orange Bowl in January, where he made great contributions to the defense and proved his worth as the next player up this season. Most likely playing as a strong-side linebacker, it will be interesting to watch Woodaz fit into this linebacker setup and play more snaps in his second year as a Tiger.
Others who could step up
One of the most exciting freshmen to watch on the defensive side of the ball for the Tigers this fall is Khalil Barnes. Defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin has plenty of places to put Barnes, who could receive snaps at the linebacker spot or in the secondary as a safety. With a game-clinching pick-six in this year’s spring game, Barnes is an electric player to watch, and do not be surprised if he is lined up as a linebacker during some snaps this season. Another exciting freshman to watch is Jamal Anderson, who could make snaps and turn heads in years to come.
Other Tigers that could play more snaps this season are redshirt freshman T.J. Dudley and Kobe McCloud. Dudley played 16 snaps on the defensive side for Clemson this season, seeing extended usage in the last two games of the season. McCloud has a chance to be featured in a lot more games in the fall, being featured twice in his freshman year before redshirting.
Overall, Clemson’s linebacker room has players who will put in quality performances week after week and be the heart of the defense, as well as young players who could make impacts when seeing snaps in games for the Tigers this season. It will be interesting to see how these defenders will line up in the fall and who steps up for Simpson.
