Clemson will Use 6-Man Rotation at Defensive End

CLEMSON, S.C. — If Clemson was playing a real game this Saturday, Lemanski Hall says Greg Williams and Kevin Swint would be a part of the defensive ends’ rotation.

The Tigers’ defensive ends coach said, after Monday’s practice behind the Allen Reeves Football Complex, the goal this year is to have a six-man rotation, starting with veterans Xavier Thomas, Myles Murphy, K.J. Henry and Justin Mascoll, which was the rotation he used last year.

Williams and Swint have since earned the right to fall into a six-man rotation this coming fall.

“I would love to go in with six guys and then see what happens,” Hall said. “That is kind of the rotation this year, even this spring. I had a chance to put Greg and Kevin with the first group just to see what they can do. They did a great job.”

The strategy behind the six-man rotation is to have Williams and Swint ready to be starters next year because the coaches expect to lose Murphy, along with Thomas, Henry and Mascoll after the 2022 season.

“The next thing for me is trust. I have to be able to trust that you are going to do what you are supposed to do,” Hall said. “Are you going to play the technique that is called? Are you going to play the defense that we call? I feel like I can trust Greg and Kevin.”

Hall likes what he has seen from redshirt freshman Cade Denhoff and Zaire Patterson. The goal is to get them ready to fall into the top four next season. He said both have benefitted from their redshirt seasons and have had productive springs.

Knowing what he has in Thomas, Murphy, Henry and Mascoll, Hall has given a lot of work to his younger players so they can get the reps they need.

“In order for that to work, I have to get the young guys some reps. That is my mentality going in,” he said. “At the end of the day, like Coach says, ‘You have to earn the right to play.’ I am not going to put a guy in there that cannot get it done. Then, I am jeopardizing the team, and I don’t ever want to do that.”

Clemson practices again on Wednesday before hosting its annual Orange and White Spring Game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. and will be televised on the ACC Network.

The Tigers, who went 10-3 in 2021 and finished 14th in the final Associated Press Poll, are the fourth team on FanDuel Sportsbook's list to win it all in 2022. Only reigning national champ Georgia (+200), runner-up Alabama (+200) and Ohio State (+800) are ahead of Clemson at +1000.