Capehart Snatching Souls for Clemson’s Defense
By: Cameron Burnett November 22, 2023

CLEMSON – The front of Wes Goodwin’s defense is full of talent. Returning stars Xavier Thomas, Ruke Orhorhoro and Tyler Davis headlined the unit coming into the year, but other names are making it literally impossible to miss them.

Redshirt junior defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart has slowly turned into one of the most fearsome players on Clemson’s top-10 defense. Now he’s a key part of the rotation and has double-digit snaps in each of the last five games.

One of the players who has seen it first hand is Peter Woods, the freshman that often lines up next to him. During his availability for South Carolina week, Woods described “Big Cuddy”  and how he’s made an impact in 2023.

“Grown man. It’s just what we like to call him. We call him ‘Big Cuddy.’ He’s really what I would say peaking at the right time. He’s doing everything right, he’s giving his all in practice and y’all just seen the fruits of it and it’s translating into the game. Just natural strength, natural speed, natural athleticism and it’s all on display,” Woods said.

That strength is something that can’t be missed on the field, and the display Woods is talking about happened in the first quarter against North Carolina.

Backed up to the Tigers 7-yard line, Capehart buried an offensive lineman into the backfield which opened a massive gap for the Clemson cavalry. Woods was the next in line and punched the ball loose from Tar Heels running back Omarion Hampton.

Woods recalled the moment, and how Capehart was the catalyst.

“DeMonte Capehart made that pretty easy for me to do,” Woods laughed. “The guy really couldn’t go anywhere so I’m coming around the edge and just hit him with a nice club rip. The guy was right there, He was dead to rights so you all probably saw how that happened.”

A team can never have too many defensive linemen, and Capehart’s surge in the middle has given Goodwin another chess piece to terrorize opposing defenses. The Gamecocks are next on the chopping block, and that just adds to what the Tigers can do up front.