Clemson Safety Lannden Zanders Continues to Turn Heads
With nine new starters taking the field for Clemson's ACC tilt with Wake Forest, the Tigers desperately needed everyone to be disciplined in simply doing their job. Clemson did just that in the season opener aided by veteran leadership from players like Lannden Zanders.
The safety finds himself vying for first-team reps this fall following the departure of both starting safeties from the 2019 squad. The Shelby, N.C., native told the media during fall camp he feels more confident this season.
Zanders is enjoying the competition and is pushing those around him in what head coach Dabo Swinney has called a deep secondary. He had four tackles and one tackle for loss in the 37-13 win over Wake Forest Saturday night.
"We're super excited about Lannden. He graded out over 80 percent and played well." Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. "He's got great range, is a good tackler and he's got really good instincts and coverage ability."
He's hopeful that progress will continue to build as the Tigers now change gears to defend the Citadel's option offense Saturday in the home opener in Death Valley.
As a safety, Zanders will again find himself in situations this weekend where he's left to fend for himself in coverage. When defending the option, the first key is to zero in on shutting down the Bulldogs' rushing attack, which can lead to one-on-one situations for the guys on the backside.
"What Wake Forest did as a run-based offense is put those secondary players on an island very much like a triple-option team would where you're in zero coverage," Venables said.
Taking away the run is the key, and eliminating what they do best will bode well for the Tigers on Saturday afternoon.
The eighth-year Clemson defensive coordinator is looking forward to watching Zanders develop further but likes what he has shown thus far.
"I"m super pumped about his future. Overall, he played well Saturday but there's a few plays he'd like to have back. But most games you are always going to have a few, even if you play at a high level," Venables said.
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