It’s football season in Clemson, again.
If one group has come back this season almost at full strength, it is the safety room, which returned names like R.J. Mickens and Tyler Venables. The two decided to use their extra year of eligibility to use their last five wins last season as a springboard for success.
Mickens detailed the easy ability to quit on the team when the team was an unbelievable 4-4 going into a game with then-ranked Notre Dame. What happened next is a testament to the squad that the Tigers had.
“I don’t think a guy in that locker room decided to do that, I think everyone bought in,” he said. “I think everyone just locked arms and we just said ‘We are going to finish the right way.’”
Another player who bought into the culture of Clemson, and another safety who is returning to the squad, is now-sophomore Khalil Barnes. The Freshman All-American last season is not done yet with progressing as a safety, believing that the best is yet to come and that last year was only the beginning.
“The season from last year is last year,” Barnes said. “I met with Coach [Mickey] Conn and Coach Swinney, figured out the things that I could’ve done that would have made it an even better year, so that’s just really the focus this spring. Focusing on those kinds of things.”
Not only does Barnes have an experienced mentor for another season in Mickens, but now has another veteran back on the field in Venables, who missed almost all of last season with a hip injury.
The Clemson native was blown away by the play of the rising sophomore last season.
“That’s not the norm, to go out and play how he did,” the graduate safety said. “To be a vocal presence and a physical presence too on the field is special, just watching him have multiple interceptions, especially in the South Carolina game. [I’m] thankful to have him back.”
Venables had a different point-of-view last season, standing on the sidelines with a headset to help safeties coach Mickey Conn during the year.
“It was frustrating,” he explained, “I think anybody would say that, and when you are part of a team and when you put so much work in, regardless of doing the drills or not or being injured, you are still showing up and you still care. My heart broke for the guys who were putting the work in.”
“As an older guy,” he continued “it’s not like we have won all the time since I’ve been here and so I’ve seen failure. So, I try to be a level and cool head with some of the younger guys. We are here to compete because we love this game.”
In the Tigers’ last game of the season, the team let up over 300 passing yards and 35 points by Kentucky in the Gator Bowl. A lot of the blame fell to the secondary, who were without a plethora of players due to injury, leaving for the transfer portal or leaving early for the NFL Draft.
For Barnes, he takes a different approach to how the performance of the safeties was.
“I felt like we needed it, for sure. Especially going into the offseason, because we were on a high,” Barnes said. “It helped us understand we got to work and it helped us a lot in seeing things that we needed to do better.”
While old meets new in this safety group, every player on the team is looking for the same thing: a national championship.
In Mickens’ eyes, the team “100%” can reach it again, especially with the extended 12-team playoff format that begins this season.
“I really love these guys,” he said. “I see the commitment every day, from the time we started in January until now, everyone has been committed day in and day out. It’s just really special. The guys in the locker room know that we all love each other, we are all hungry and we are all just committed to putting in work and watching tape.
While the Tigers have plenty to look forward to entering this season, the safety group will be a position group to watch when the team takes the field officially on Aug. 31 against Georgia.
