Like Alabama, Clemson doesn’t rebuild, it reloads
TAMPA - The obvious contrast between Alabama’s hyper-structured, robotic process and Clemson’s freewheeling fun under Dabo Swinney is an easy story line to exploit as the teams face each other for the second consecutive year in the last game of the season.
But Clemson’s most Alabama-like quality is the biggest reason for its return trip to the College Football Playoff championship: The Tigers have had a knack recently for replacing NFL-bound defensive players with equal or better talent without the well drying up.
“It’s no different than Alabama,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “It’s the exact same. They just stick another guy in there, and we want to be that type of program.” Maybe they already are. While Clemson’s offensive personnel will be largely the same as it was against Alabama last season in a 45-40 loss, only three of its defensive starters from that game returned this year; two graduated and six others entered the NFL draft despite having a year of college eligibility remaining. And that came just a year after Clemson lost seven starters from its 2014 defense, which finished No. 1 nationally in yards allowed.
In other words, defensive coordinator Brent Venables has had to start almost from scratch two years in a row, a talent drain that would devastate most programs. Instead, Clemson has maintained a top-10 defense by plugging in top recruits and patiently developing players who spent most of their careers in minor roles.
“We have done a good job of recruiting and developing and our players buying in,” Venables said. “We have great continuity in our program. We don’t have a lot of transfers year in and year out, we really don’t take any junior college players. We have been incredibly fortunate to recruit some incredible talent and plug them in and get ready to play.”
For every program except Alabama recently, the pendulum of success swings from year-to-year based on two factors: How many starters leave and how well their coaches evaluate talent in recruiting.
But usually there’s at least some indication well in advance that it’s time to restock a particular position. When coaches think they’re going to lose several good linebackers, for instance, they’ll concentrate on recruiting linebackers a year or two before the bill comes due.
What made Venables’ job so unique this season was that Clemson couldn’t have accounted for how many players would leave early following its trip to last year’s national title game. Though it was obvious going into the season that cornerback Mackensie Alexander and defensive end Shaq Lawson would enter the draft if they had good seasons, it would have been impossible to project the same for defensive end Kevin Todd, linebacker Travis Blanks or safety T.J. Green, who were in their first year as starters.
Clemson essentially was a victim of its own success, creating a vacuum of experience going into 2016. But instead of a drop-off on defense, Clemson just repeated the formula, moving former reserves to starting roles and got even better, culminating with the 31-0 shutout of Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.
In that game, yet another new star emerged in defensive end Clelin Ferrell, a former four-star recruit who redshirted last season. After wrecking Ohio State’s offensive line, accounting for four tackles and a sack, he was named the game’s defensive MVP.
Though sophomore Christian Wilkins and freshman Dexter Lawrence received most of the publicity this season on Clemson’s defensive line — and rightly so as former blue-chip recruits who delivered immediate results — it is players such as Ferrell waiting in the pipeline that have allowed Clemson’s success to go uninterrupted.
“To be honest I had no idea when I got here who Shaq or Kevin (Dodd) was,” Ferrell said. “I was just like wow, who are these guys? These dudes are huge. I had to learn this is Clemson and guys come here to be great players, and even though they might not be the biggest names they’re going to try to make a name for themselves.
“I don’t feel like I was ready physically or mentally to come out and help the team last year so I needed a year to sit out and learn.”
Just as crucial has been Venables’ knack for turning players who had limited role into key components at just the right time. Safety Jadar Johnson, for instance, said he was “immature” his first three years at Clemson, unhappy with being a reserve. In his first year as a starter, he’s snagged five interceptions and was named first team All-ACC.
“I think the cornerstones to what you are are the guys that maybe weren’t incredible players as freshmen or sophomores but have really developed into as good as it gets, consistent, tough, hardnosed, disciplined players,” Venables said. “They understand our culture, our program and hold a standard to all those younger guys.”