Clemson Football’s linebacker room is arguably one of the best in College Football, and they don’t seem to be getting any weaker as the season draws closer.
Barrett Carter, standout Clemson linebacker, spoke to the media after practice this past Tuesday afternoon and broke down how their preparing for their season-opener against Georgia and that Clemson Football is ready to be back on top of College Football.
There’s been a lot of talk surrounding this top 25 matchup, including whispers that Clemson won’t be able to hang with Georgia considering how dominant they’ve been over the past decade. But Carter had something much different to say about his team and their skill set.
“We’ve had a great offseason, great camp, and we have the dudes in the locker room to compete with anybody in the country. Obviously Georgia, they’ve been the top team in the country the past couple of years. Until someone beats the best, they’re going to be proclaimed the best…I’m excited to see how we matchup as a team but I know that we have a special group of guys in the locker room whose bought into the process and bought into our scheme.”
Barrett Carter
Carter, who is about to begin his final season at Clemson, has emerged as a leader on the team over this past offseason. Carter credits the incredibly successful recruiting classes that Clemson has had since his arrival on campus to his belief in the motto “Next man up,” which he has constantly tried to ingrain in the minds of all of his fellow teammates.
“I can name numerous guys [That have shown “Next man up” mentality]. Every recruiting class we brought in like after me, so like 22′, 23′, 24′; our coaches hit grand slams with all three of those classes. Guys that have the right mindsets, and just come in every single day ready to work. Whether their first on the depth chart or fifth on the depth chart, they’ve come in with the right mindset… They’re gonna be ready for the opportunity whenever it presents itself.”
Barrett Carter
Speaking of the past recruiting classes; some big names from those include, but aren’t limited to: Cade Klubnik, Adam Randall, Antonio Williams, Collin Sadler, T.J. Moore, and Byrant Wesco.
With most of these guys being projected starters for this upcoming season, they should be in for a good year. However, many still don’t believe in this Clemson offense; but Carter thinks they’ve been flying under the radar if anything.
He continued to rave about the offense and more specifically, Clemson’s starting quarterback Cade Klubnik, who’s been nicknamed “The Executioner,” over the offseason.
“I feel like it’s more comfort within the system, especially having Coach [Garrett] Riley going on year two now, just really getting a good grasp for that. Then like, understanding his guys and their tendencies… our offense they’ve done a tremendous job just all across the board. Executing plays as a whole, they’ve all really stepped up and bought into the process and bought into the playbook… it’s definitely been fun to see them emerge as a group and gain more confidence.”
Barrett Carter
