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“Disruptive” is the word the Clemson football website uses to describe T.J. Parker’s first two seasons with the program, and that word is right on the money. Parker has 105 career tackles, including 32.0 for loss, with 16.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in 27 career games (17 starts) from 2023-24.

His six forced fumbles in 2024 set the Clemson record for most forced fumbles in a single season, and his 12.5 tackles for loss in 2023 broke Clemson's true freshman record. And Parker doesn’t seem to be done or satisfied. That’s a good thing for Clemson fans (and the players and coaches) as he enters his junior season. 

But the biggest news at defensive end this year is the addition of Will Heldt, a transfer – yes, a transfer – from Purdue. In 24 games during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Heldt, now a junior, had 56 tackles, including 10 for loss, five sacks and a fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown.

Parker and Heldt are the definite starters, but they could have some help with continued growth from senior Cade Denhoff and junior Jahiem Lawson, who both seem to be ready for bigger roles this season. 

And there is more depth behind them with redshirt freshman Darien Mayo and true freshman Ari Watford among others.

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Barrett Carter is no longer with the Clemson program after a standout career, and that will be a hole the Tigers’ coaching staff has to fill. 

But the players are there to do just that. 

Somehow Wade Woodaz is already a senior (boy, that flew by fast), and he has had a strong career. Clemson’s defense will need him to take things up another level and will need him to take over Carter’s leadership role. Woodaz has 140 tackles (21.5 for loss), 8.5 sacks, nine pass breakups, three interceptions, four forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a blocked punt in his career. Those are tremendous numbers, and we can expect him to continue to add to those numbers in a big way.

Playing next to Woodaz, for the most part, will be sophomore Sammy Brown, who had a solid freshman season with 87 tackles, including 11.5 for loss, and five sacks. But if Brown can jump from solid to terrific, which he should, that can help this defense go to another level.

Jeremiah Alexander, a transfer from Alabama (yes, a transfer … does that joke ever get old?), can be a huge and versatile piece for this defense. Linebackers coach Ben Boulware has praised Alexander’s work ethic, and if that plays out on the field, that gives the Tigers a dynamic trio at the top of the position group. 

Giving them some much-needed depth will be Dee Crayton, Jamal Anderson, Kobe McCloud and Drew Woodaz.

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Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed has done some good work in recent years, recruiting and developing talent, and that has continued with the current group.

Avieon Terrell broke on the scene as a true freshman two years ago with a tremendous season and was solid again last year, although there were some not-so-solid moments. Expect him to bounce back this season. He enters the 2025 season with 82 career tackles, 19 pass breakups, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries
Ashton Hampton had a terrific freshman season – remember that pick against Virginia Tech? – and is poised to have a big sophomore season. He had 30 tackles, six pass breakups and two interceptions last season.

And Jeadyn Lukus had a strong junior season after some problems with injuries during his first two seasons. Lukus played 14 games last year after playing just seven in 2023 and has 49 tackles, 11 pass breakups and two interceptions in his career.

That makes for a terrific trio at the top and a group that could (and should) do some special things this season for the Tigers. That’s especially true if Clemson’s defensive front and linebackers can put some pressure on the opposing quarterbacks. 

And they should have plenty of help from sophomore Branden Strozier and redshirt freshman Corian Gipson.

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The safeties position group has a lot of names and a lot of versatile options for position coach Mickey Conn to work with.

That starts, really, with Khalil Barnes, who likely will start at nickelback or free safety and has made a career out of making big plays for the Tigers. As a freshman in 2023, he became the first Clemson player in the Dabo Swinney era with multiple forced fumbles and multiple interceptions in a freshman season.

Barnes has 101 tackles (5.5 for loss), 11 pass breakups, seven interceptions, three forced fumbles, a sack and a fumble recovery (which he returned 42 yards for a touchdown) in 27 games, making 21 starts. That’s a LOT of production.

He’s joined at nickelback by juniors Shelton Lewis and Ronan Hanafin, a former wide receiver who also can play strong safety, along with redshirt freshman Noah Dixon.

The safety group has a lot of other moving parts, including graduate Tyler Venables and junior Kylon Griffin, who both have gotten a lot of snaps during their careers. Ricardo Jones made some contributions last year as a true freshman, while third-year sophomores Rob Billings and Kylen Webb add depth, along with redshirt freshman Joe Wilkinson.

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