Clemson doesn’t have a single senior defensive end on the roster, but it’s probably safe to assume that the group will lose one player at the end of this year.

Shaq Lawson, the junior from right around the corner in Central, has 2.5 sacks through three games this season. The assumption is that he’ll head to the NFL at the end of this season. If he keeps producing as a pass rusher, it would be hard for him not to test the pro waters. Lawson also has 13 tackles this season.

Starting opposite of Lawson in each of the first thee games has been Kevin Dodd, who’s playing the best ball of his career. Entering the Louisville game, Dodd had 68 snaps with 11 tackles and a tackle for loss. Against the Cardinals, he had five tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Freshman Austin Bryant was the only other defensive end to see the field for Clemson the other night. He had 12 tackles over 50 snaps, before Thursday.

The five-man rotation is rounded out by Richard Yeargin and Dane Rogers. This season, they’ve played 47 and 24 snaps, respectively.

The other two defensive ends on the roster are Chris Register and Clelin Ferrell. Register has been injured for most of the season and Ferrell is taking a redshirt.

Clemson has a 2016 commitment in Xavier Kelly, a four-star from Wichita, Kan. Once qualified, 2015 signee LaSamuel Davis will be the next defensive end from Bamberg to join the program.

It’s worth keeping an eye on 2016 four-star Tony Clayton, the four-star from Vienna, Ga. However, Clemson could be finished its efforts at defensive end for this cycle.

Here’s a look at a few of the prospects we’re tracking for 2017:

[autotag]Zachary Carter[/autotag] – Hillsborough – Tampa, Fla.

Clemson and Florida are positioned as the top-two choices for the four-star, but Kentucky and Miami are also receiving consideration.

[autotag]Malik Herring[/autotag] – Mary Persons – Forsyth, Ga.

Herring visited Clemson in June while most of the coaching staff was out of town on vacation. His first trip to campus was in March for Junior Day. Clemson is in good position, along with the usual suspects: Georgia, Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Florida State and LSU.

[autotag]Ryan Johnson[/autotag] – St. Paul’s Episcopal – Mobile, Ala.

Clemson defensive ends coach Marion Hobby sent out an offer to Johnson during the May evaluation period. Of the instate schools, Auburn is the favorite. Georgia is also receiving consideration.

[autotag]Yetur Matos[/autotag] – Chancellor – Fredericksburg, Va.

Matos visited Clemson in the summer for the Dabo Swinney Football Camp and picked up an offer. He was back a few weeks later for a second visit. Penn State is also heavily in the mix. Matos also has interest in some of the regular players from the SEC.

[autotag]Joshua Paschal[/autotag] – Good Counsel – Olney, Md.

Paschal was offered by Clemson last November. During camp, he showed up for a quick visit with fellow 2017 prospect, Jordan Anthony Paschal is the younger brother of former Kentucky outside linebacker TraVaughn Paschal. The Wildcats are in the mix, as are Maryland and Virginia Tech.