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Clemson Football: Final report card for Tigers’ 2019 season

By Dante Pryor

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 28: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers is hit by Shaun Wade #24 and Chase Young #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 28: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers is hit by Shaun Wade #24 and Chase Young #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – JANUARY 07: Isaiah Simmons #11 of the Clemson Tigers reacts against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi’s Stadium on January 7, 2019, in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – JANUARY 07: Isaiah Simmons #11 of the Clemson Tigers reacts against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi’s Stadium on January 7, 2019, in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Defense overall grade: B+

Outstanding Players

Isaiah Simmons: Simmons is the embodiment of the term freak athlete. He can literally play at all three levels of the defense. He can be a rush end, linebacker, and defensive back. There’s a saying, “jack of all trades, master of none,” but that does not apply here. Simmons is dangerous anywhere he lines up defensively. He proved that by leading the Tigers in tackles, sacks and second in interceptions.

Tanner Muse: There is one phrase to describe the safety Muse: rock-solid. The fifth-year senior led the Tigers in interceptions this season. Muse is the definition of a “Clemson guy.” He’s gritty and hard-working; Muse embodies his head coach Dabo Swinney. He’s not flashy but gets the job done.

Defensive Line: B+

The defensive line was the disappointment for the Tigers’ defense this season. Any time you lose four NFL draft picks from your defensive line, it’s going to be hard to recover. They were talented in their front-four but young. Their youth and inexperience showed this season.

Freshman defensive tackle Tyler Davis paced the defensive linemen with 6.5 sacks, but one of the issues was the lack of a consistent pass rush up front. That forced the defense to blitz more than they like to blitz. This was exposed in the National Championship Game.

Linebackers: A-

Any time you have an athlete like Simmons playing linebacker — yes he’ll be mentioned at defensive back as well — he instantly makes your linebacking corps special. He was needed at linebacker as well. Clemson’s linebackers are tough, physical and gritty, but limited athletically. James Skalski and Chad Smith were solid for the Tigers this season. They were sure tacklers that contributed to their physical style instilled by defensive coordinator Brent Venables.

Defensive backs: A

Despite their struggles in the championship game, the Clemson secondary has at least three players that will have an opportunity at the NFL. In addition to Isaiah Simmons, AJ Terrell and K’Von Wallace have the talent to play at the next level. This talent and versatility in the defensive backfield easily made the secondary the strength of the Clemson defense.

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Special Teams: B

The special teams were good, not great this season. The Tigers were 13th in kickoff defense and 11th in the country in punt defense. They didn’t allow a kick or punt return for a touchdown. Will Spiers had a good year punting with a 42.9-yard average.  The adventure was in the kicking game as B.T. Potter made a pedestrian 61 percent of his field goal attempts. That was overshadowed by how bad they were beating teams this season. Luckily their games didn’t come down to the kicking game.

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