Much like the rest of the defense, Clemson faces some uncertainty in its secondary as it heads into the 2015 season. A number of potential answers abound, but duplicating what was a scintillating performance from the Tigers’ defensive backs a season ago will require several younger faces to grow up in a hurry in order to fill out the two-deep.
In today’s version of football, having one dominant cover cornerback is a prerequisite for an elite pass defense. For Clemson, that player is Mackensie Alexander. The sophomore was tremendous in coverage a year ago, and much like other so-called “island corners”—Richard Sherman and Darrelle Revis come to mind—Alexander’s stats weren’t eye-popping. Simply put, he was so good that no one would throw to his side of the field, and nothing figures to change with a year of seasoning.
A word of caution: Alexander is coming off of the best season for a freshman corner at Clemson since Justin Miller debuted a dozen years before him. After a dynamite beginning, Miller’s career with the Tigers never really took off. His play on defense stagnated somewhat over his next couple of years, so there’s no guarantee Alexander improves upon his work in 2014.
Whoever lines up opposite Alexander will certainly see a fair share of traffic. As of now, Cordrea Tankersley figures to fill that role replacing the departed Garry Peters. Tankersley saw his playing time increase incrementally as last season went along, and he may now be ready for prime time. A consistent showing in August camp certainly wouldn’t hurt, as his play has been up and down throughout his brief career.
In terms of reserves at corner, three third-year sophomores top the list. Adrian Baker was a highly touted prospect that has barely seen the field in two years. A lack of size and general confidence has hurt him. Marcus Edmond and Ryan Carter were less heralded coming out of the prep ranks, but both are favorites of secondary coach Mike Reed. Expect all three of these players to contribute to some degree this season.
The wild card of the group is true freshman Mark Fields, a late commitment to Clemson whose reputation has escalated expectations significantly. Even though he waited to enroll this summer, many expect Fields to take over as the primary backup at cornerback and to eventually unseat Tankersley opposite Alexander. Until he gets onto the practice field, this is all conjecture, but his progress bears monitoring throughout preseason camp.
One of the safety battles is still up for grabs, but the other one has a clear leader. Jayron Kearse will likely log as many snaps as anyone on Clemson’s defense this season. His versatility allows him to stay on the field regardless of down and distance, and his combination of length and instincts allow him to take chances and still recover. Kearse is quiet, but he has some leadership skills that will allow him to replace some of what the Tigers lost when Robert Smith graduated.
Kearse’s listed backup is Korrin Wiggins, who will likely see significant time at the nickel/SAM slot. Both players are rangy and like to play close to the line of scrimmage, so there could be some interchanging of parts that allow them to swap spots in Brent Venables’ defensive alignment at times. Wiggins is a valuable asset for the Tigers on defense, and if injury strikes, he is a great plan B at safety.
The other safety slot is a little more up in the air. T.J. Green and Jadar Johnson are listed as co-starters following perhaps the most contentious position battle of the spring. The pair of players shared the field as reserves a year ago, with Green—a converted wide receiver—earning more trust as the season went along. Johnson is more seasoned, but Green has a longer frame. Either player can help Clemson win football games, and barring injury, seeing a 50-50 split in snaps wouldn’t be a surprise here.
One unknown to consider is the re-emergence of Travis Blanks. A natural leader and Freshman All-American, Blanks’ injury issues have sidelined him for more than a year. If he can demonstrate full health after aggressively attacking rehab for his knee, Blanks has the ability to play either safety position or nickel/SAM. Like most players who have suffered multiple injuries, however, the extent to which Blanks’ skill and athleticism have diminished could prove problematic. The staff will take a wait-and-see approach to his role within the secondary this season.
Redshirt freshman Jefferie Gibson may see a little work in the defensive backfield, but the depth chart looks crowded as is. The other three freshman defensive backs—Kaleb Chalmers, Tanner Muse, and Van Smith—appear destined to redshirt at this time.