Clemson Star CB Believes Tigers Can Be 'Best Secondary In the Nation'

The Clemson Tigers secondary went through ebbs and flows last season, but junior cornerback Avieon Terrell believes that the group has a chance to be one of the best in 2025.

While the Tigers finished third in the ACC in pass defense in 2024, averaging 213.5 pass yards per game, Terrell said that fans have caught glimpses of its ability to be special a season ago, but the group has put more pieces together during the offseason.

“I’ve seen it in spring,” Terrell said on Tuesday. “I’ve seen it last year, but I’ve really seen it in the spring though, just how we are communicating, how we move, and how everybody is just on the same page back there. That’s big.”

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A catalyst? New defensive coordinator Tom Allen, who Terrell described as “the intensity is a lot higher” in practices. The junior standout has said that one thing is much different as well: energy.

“The energy grew a lot,” Terrell said. “Just the way we are flying around, just competing out there, on both sides, it just feels good. So, he brought a lot of energy to this program.”

With the departure of safety R.J. Mickens, it means that there needs to be more vocal leaders in the secondary, something that Terrell has looked to improve on throughout fall camp. More of a quiet player that let his gameplay do the talking, the second team All-ACC selection has become a leader with his communication.

“I’ve been doing good with that,” Terrell said. “I had to get out of my shell, just being quiet and leading by example. I still lead by example, but I’m being more vocal now because I have a voice that can be heard now, so I’m letting it be known.”

The cornerback and safety rooms are young, featuring players like sophomores Ashton Hampton and Ricardo Jones. Almost every player in the room is a junior or younger, making it important for the older, experienced players in the room, like Terrell, to teach and lead.

For a more reserved, “toned down” player in Terrell, he’s come out of his shell to break things down for his teammates.

“I’m more like [bringing] a player to the side and [telling] him about it,” Terrell said. “I might break it down, I never used to just break it down, I’ve always been shy for some reason. But, I’ve been breaking it down and being more vocal.”

Clemson faces a tough task in under three weeks, playing a LSU passing attack that recorded the seventh-most passing yards per game in 2024 with 315.2. However, Terrell believes that his unit has the capability to be one of the best in the country.

“We got a chance to be the best secondary in the nation, for sure,” he said. Just young guys, Ashton, Ricardo Jones, Ronan [Hanafin], Misun Kelley, [Khalil Barnes], everybody [is] just competing out there and they look good.”

Clemson will be tested early and often against LSU’s Heisman candidate quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and can get a feel for just how much they’ve progressed since last season.