CLEMSON — A lot of people like to call Clemson Wide Receiver U.

It’s understandable. Dabo Swinney and former Clemson wide receivers coach Jeff Scott played that moniker up so well and used it to their advantage.

It helped with recruiting, especially considering all the success Clemson wide receivers have had in the NFL, dating back to DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins playing days at Clemson.

However, prior to Hopkins and Watkins and the string of successful guys that followed, Clemson’s wide receiver success in the NFL was limited to legends like Jerry Butler and Dwight Clark in the 1980s. In the grand scheme of things, and not recency bias, Clemson is far from being College Football’s Wide Receiver U.

There is, however, another position group where Clemson has a legitimate claim as one of College Football’s all-time best.

“I think we have been D-Line U in my opinion,” current Clemson defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro said. “I can go down the list, starting with Grady Jarrett, DeShawn Williams, Refrigerator (Wiliam) Perry. There are just so many guys.”

Orhorhoro is right, there have been a lot of successful defensive linemen from Clemson.

Clemson’s defensive line, dating back to defensive tackle Lou Cordileone in 1960, has produced many first or second round NFL picks, All-Pros and Super Bowl Champions. Jim Stuckey started on San Franciso’s first two Super Bowl Championship teams in the 1980s.

Perry, also a defensive tackle, became famous on the 1985 Chicago Bears defense, arguably the greatest defense in the history of the NFL. Jeff Bryant, another defensive tackle, was a longtime starter for the Seattle Seahawks.

Michael Dean Perry, William’s younger brother, was a five-time All-Pro defensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos. Chester McGlockton was a four-time All-Pro defensive tackle, as was Trevor Pryce, who started and won two Super Bowls as a Denver Bronco.

More recently defensive end Vic Beasley, Jarrett and Dexter Lawrence, both defensive tackles, have earned All-Pro honors.

In the 2019 NFL Draft, Clemson became the first school in the modern era to have three defensive linemen selected in the first round. Defensive end Clelin Ferrell was picked No. 4 overall to the Oakland Raiders, defensive tackle Christian Wilkins went No. 13 overall to the Miami Dolphins and Lawrence was the No. 17 overall pick to the New York Giants.

“There are so many guys you can name, that have not only been successful at the college level, but at the next level,” Orhorhoro said. “I feel like we are D-Line U and I feel like it is up to us, this next wave, to show the world that we are still D-Line you.”

This past April, defensive end Myles Murphy (No. 28) and defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (No. 29) were both selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

In all, 14 Clemson defensive linemen have been selected in the first round of the NFL Draft through the years, seven more than any other unit in the history of the program. In case you’re wondering, wide receivers/pass catchers are second with seven first-round selections, that includes tight end Bennie Cunningham.

By the way, one of the defensive linemen who is a part of Clemson’s NFL success, is current defensive tackles coach Nick Eason. He won a Super Bowl as a key fixture for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense in 2008, and helped the Steelers get back there again in 2010.

“I think he is the best D-Line coach in America, truthfully,” Orhorhoro said. “He has played at this level, and not only at this level, but at this school. So, he takes a different level of pride in it, and he instills that in us.

“He knows what it is like to be out there in fall camp with tendinitis in your knee or your ankle is hurting, and you are pushing through. He knows how to take care of us, but at the same time he knows how to push us and that’s one of the best things I like about him. It does not matter if you are a freshman or a fifth-year senior like me and TD (Tyler Davis), he is going to (kick) your butt the same way. I feel like that is what pushes us to be great and just seeing how hard he works. It makes me want to go out there and put it all on the line for him.”

Clemson’s First Round Defensive Linemen

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