Clemson Football: Takeaways from Tigers’ 2019 spring game

Defense should keep Clemson in playoff hunt again

Sheridan Jones, another early enrollee that should still be in high school looked great on defense, causing and recovering a fumble, displaying a knack for playing a tough, physical brand of defense that will most certainly fit like a glove in Brent Venables’ system.

Another notable defensive performance was from AJ Terrell, who locked down his side of the field for most of the day as well as coming up with an interception.

The Clemson offense is so high-powered it’s easy to overlook how much depth there is on the other side of the ball. And while the stockpile of four and five-star recruits make Clemson more equipped to win than your average team, the real advantage on defense isn’t the players, its Venables, who has come to be considered one of the best defensive minds in college football.

So long as the Tigers’ coaching staff has Dabo and Venables, Clemson will continue to be a perfectly well-rounded powerhouse that’s going to be a mainstay in the playoff for the foreseeable future.