The Clemson Tigers defeated the NC State Wolfpack 59-35 this past Saturday in Memorial Stadium. The defense for the Tigers was one of, if not, the biggest trending topics surrounding the game as second and third-string players let up 21 more points in just the fourth quarter.
With that being said, here are the position grades for the defensive side of the ball:
Safeties: A-
The veteran presence of the Clemson safeties was one of the biggest takeaways from this game in my opinion. Senior RJ Mickens was flying all over the field as he recorded seven tackles, which tied for second most on the team that night. But, not only did Mickens ball out, fifth-year Tyler Venables also showcased solid play, producing two tackles and a pass deflection. Khalil Barnes and Jeadyn Lukus also pitched in three tackles each on the day.
Cornerbacks: B+
There were a lot of good takeaways from the cornerback room in this game, but definitely flashes of things the backups need to improve on as the season goes on.
Avieon Terrell balled out yet again, holding K.C. Concepcion to just 40 receiving yards. He recorded three tackles and recovered his own forced fumble on the 2023 Freshman All-American to put the Tigers up by a large margin. Sophomore Shelton Lewis also had his best game of the year so far since his injury in fall camp tallying up 6 tackles on the day.
True-freshman Ashton Hampton also showed potential of how important he can be to the future of this defense as he scored a pick-six at the end of the third quarter.
While it seems the corners had a great game, the reason that the grade is dragged down to a B+ is due to the backup play. Red-shirt freshman Brandon Strozier missed a tackle in the second-half that led to a 20-yard gain down to the one-yard line which eventually ended in a touchdown for the Wolfpack on the following play. Walk-on DB Walt Smith also missed a tackle that led to a 40-yard passing touchdown on the final offensive play of the game for NC State.
Linebackers: A-
The linebackers played up to par in this game, yet still were missing some easy tackles and left open gaps in the run game that equated to scores.
Former five-star and true-freshman Sammy Brown had a monster performance as he led the team in tackles for the second game in a row. He totaled eight tackles, four tackles for a loss (team-high), and a pass deflection. Young linebacker Dee Crayton also flashed potential recording four tackles.
Senior duo Wade Woodaz and Barrett Carter recorded 12 tackles combined, one tackle for a loss, and two QB hits, but didn’t play in the second-half at all due to it being 45-7 going into halftime.
Defensive Line: B+
The defensive line had the same story as the cornerback room in this game, the starters flourished yet the backups just looked like they weren’t exactly ready to play as much as they did.
T.J. Parker was dominating every snap as he had five tackles and two sacks, including absolutely crushing NC State QB C.J. Bailey for a forced fumble, leading to a touchdown on the other side of the ball. With Peter Woods out, this is exactly what the Clemson defense needed in this game.
Red-shirt sophomores Jaheim Lawson and A.J. Hoffler looked exciting to watch for the future. The two looked ruthless in the second-half, pressuring Bailey in the pocket multiple times. The two racked up three tackles and half of a tackle for a loss. There’s a lot more untapped potential within these two.
The downside to the defensive line this weekend seemed to be depth as they got completely exposed on the ground, letting up 131 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
