Clemson DE Jahiem Lawson 'Loves' New Strength and Conditioning Coach

Ahead of his final season at Clemson, Jahiem Lawson credited multiple staffers for his transformation over the past few years, as well as this summer.

Clemson DE Jahiem Lawson is one of many players who respect and have raved about new S&C Coach Dennis Love. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It's been a long road for Clemson defensive end Jahiem Lawson as he enters his final season with the team in 2026, and a lot of that journey comes down to the work he's put in day in and day out with the strength and conditioning staff, as well as the nutrition that fuels it.

We wrote about his journey last week, as the once 208-pound freshman has now transformed himself into a "brickhouse," as head coach Dabo Swinney calls it, weighing in at 251 pounds entering his fifth season.

Following fall camp practice on Wednesday, Lawson credited Director of Football Performance Nutrition Meaghan Turcotte for the weight he's gained over the past three years.

"It's definitely hard, but I'll be honest, I give all props to Meaghan, like literally all props to Meg," Lawson said. "She's helped me for a long, long, long time, so I really just give all my props to her. I thank her and her staff for just giving me the right keys to get, obviously, where I want to be."

However, Turcotte wasn't the only one Lawson was quick to credit throughout his media session. He went on to shout out Dennis Love soon after, who has taken over as Clemson's Director of Football Strength and Conditioning after longtime coach Joey Batson stepped down following last season.

"Oh, I love him," Lawson said with a grin. "I actually love [Dennis] Love. He's a hardworking guy, and he wants the best for us, so like every day he comes in the same person, like mindset, he's the same person. He's going to joke with us, obviously, but like, it's about the grind. So I love him, he's a good dude. Him coming in this offseason and taking over after Coach [Batson]... He helped us out a lot this summer. It was a hard summer, but I think it's going to all pay off."

Before stepping into his new role, Love had already spent 16 years with the program across two separate stints. He first joined Clemson in 2004, spending his final four years as the Director of Olympic sports strength & conditioning while also serving as the head strength coach for baseball, men's soccer and women's volleyball teams. 

He also assisted the football program during that stretch, working primarily with the defensive line and creating an NFL-combine specific program for players looking to make it to the next level.

Love then left in 2015 for an assistant strength and conditioning role with the Denver Broncos, helping the franchise win Super Bowl 50, before returning to College Football at Purdue (2017-20) and then Auburn (2021). Since his return to Death Valley in 2022, he's been hand-in-hand with Batson and even turned down a job with the Minnesota Vikings before accepting his new position with the Tigers.

"We didn't have a choice. It was either that or he was going to be the strength coach for the Vikings right then," Swinney said last November. "This has been a dream job for him. He's one of the most respected guys out there.

Throughout this summer, he's implemented plenty of new workouts, including an 80-foot hill run on The Dike's, and an entirely different mentality for a team coming off a 7-6 season. Much of the overlapping chatter among players has centered on how hard, yet beneficial, the summer has been.

Lawson and his teammates aren't the only ones who speak highly of their new strength and conditioning coach, though. Swinney also recently spoke about Love and just how instrumental he has been to an offseason full of work.

"I love the job that he's done up to this point,” Swinney commented. “The whole staff, he'd be the first one to tell you, I mean the whole staff, I think, has bought into the way he wants to do things. But these players love him, and you know, they spend more time with him than anybody.”

“I'd say you get one first summer, and obviously we're going to be judged by what happens on the scoreboard, but I think he did a great job of setting the tone for his first summer of how he wants it to look like in that weight room — so I'm proud of him."

It's clear that Lawson is one of many players where the respect goes both ways. As he enters his final season with the Tigers, the trust he's built with Love and the work they've put in together over the years are a big part of why he feels so ready for what's ahead.