Mickey Conn will have a luxury not many position coaches get this spring.

Clemson’s co-defensive coordinator also coaches the safeties. That just happens to be a position where the Tigers are not only returning every starter but will also return their entire two-deep from last season barring any post-spring transfers.

Jalyn Phillips, who’s returning for his second season as a starter and fifth season overall, and rising junior Andrew Mukuba are back at the top of the depth chart. Two more seniors, R.J. Mickens and Tyler Venables, are also returning after being part of the rotation last season. 

Even with a number of upperclassmen at the position, Conn said he’d still like to see a growth in maturity in certain aspects from the group.

“You brought in a whole new group last year really,” Conn said during Clemson’s National S’igning Day show earlier this month. “Andrew Mukuba had come back, but he’d been injured most of the year with an ankle, a knee and an elbow. I think he ended up missing three games on the year. Then we had to play him at corner early on because we were really thin at corner, so he’d bounced around to some different spots. Just like to see him mature a little bit more at his spot.

“JP (Phillips), we got a big nod with him coming back. Last year was his first year to start, so having that experience helps him. R.J. Mickens really came on as the year went on, so I’m really super excited with him. Tyler Venables, we’ve just got to get him healthy.”

Conn is also high on Sherrod Covil, who played in x games as a true freshman and “really came on,” Conn said.

“He’s just got to learn it and get that experience,” Conn added.

Fellow freshman Kylon Griffin will add further depth at the position next season coming off a redshirt year. The Tigers also signed three safeties in this year’s recruiting class in Kylen Webb, Khalil Barnes and Rob Billings. Webb and Barnes are mid-year enrollees who are already on campus, so Conn will have plenty of options to work with and evaluate come the spring.

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