Graduate senior defensive end Justin Mascoll is a player on head coach Dabo Swinney’s radar this season as he is assuming a more established leadership role on Clemson’s defensive line. With the start of spring practice, Mascoll spoke to the media and offered insight into when he knew he was going to come back to Clemson for another season.

“I knew I was going to come back during that finals week,” he said. “I want to say that’s when I knew I was going to come back. I just thought about it with my family and just trying to figure out what was the best decision for me. My goal for this year is to come back and be a leader, really maximize my body. My body is like my tuxedo as far as the league goes, so just trying to get everything right.”

Mascoll shared that he feels like this is the time for him to shine. After years of tweaking the little aspects of his game, he feels like he is reaching his full potential at just the right time in his collegiate career.

“I feel like this is it,” he said. “I have never felt like more prepared coming into the spring, as far as my body, my mental approach to the game. I feel like this is going to be it for me.”

The mental switch for the defensive end came early on last season when the team faced Syracuse. The graduate senior described the game as becoming really slow for him, which he believes is essential for his ability to play at a high level of intensity during each play.

“I had a play against Syracuse, and that was probably the moment when I was like yes this is starting to feel real slow for me,” he said. “It was starting to feel good. It was really slowing it down mentally and then getting my body ready feeling so I can play every down with the same fire.”

With K.J. Henry and Bryan Bresee headed to the NFL Draft, questions remain as to who will rise as vocal leaders on Clemson’s defensive line. Mascoll, who has described himself more as a lead-by-example type of guy, says he is making more of an effort to become a vocal leader alongside some other veterans on the defense.

“I am trying to step up and be a more vocal leader,” he said. “I know in the past I kind of let K.J. be the vocal leader, guys like that, but it’s my turn to step up and be a more vocal leader. In the past I’ve relied on leading by example through my work ethic and things like that.”

“I feel like Ruke (Orhorhoro) is definitely a vocal leader,” he added. “Barrett (Carter) is a vocal leader. TD (Tyler Davis) is vocal too. TD is starting to get more vocal too. Everybody is coming together real good, so it’s nice, it’s good to see.”

After Clemson’s defense did not reach the performance that many analysts predicted coming into last season, a lot is up in the air when it comes to how the team will adjust and make improvements ahead of this upcoming season. Mascoll shared that this chip on their shoulder has only pushed them to work harder and strive for greater goals ahead of spring practice.

“I feel like that just leaves us with a chip on our shoulder as a defense,” he said. “Clemson has been known to have dominant defenses. Our performance was not where it should have been. It was not the standard. It’s a big chip on our shoulder. You see it in the offseason work. Everybody is working so hard just trying to uphold our standard and build off momentum. I know we didn’t leave the season last year with good momentum with a loss, but we are trying to work back into it.”

Dear Old Clemson has added the Tiger Sack Pack to our online store.  Save by getting the Two Pack of signed cards from two of the nation’s top defensive ends, Myles Murphy and Xavier Thomas.

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