Freshmen Defensive Linemen Ready To Play
It appears the lack of dominant defensive line play from Clemson was just a one-year anomaly.
After one week of fall camp, this year's group is starting to resemble some of those defensive fronts fans have become accustomed to seeing under Brent Venables, according to coaches and players.
A lack of depth was one of the biggest issues this Clemson team faced last year. After the Tigers' most recent recruiting class that shouldn't be an issue this season, and you can add fifth-year senior Nolan Turner to the long list impressed by what they have seen from the young class of newcomers.
"Yeah, I mean, when you bring in guys like Bryan (Bresee) and Myles Murphy, and (DeMonte) Capehart, Tre (Williams)," Turner said on Thursday after practice. "You know, I mean they come in and you know they look the part and they're ready to play."
Turner is also quick to point out though, that while all of those freshmen may be physical specimens, now is when the hard part begins. From now until the end of camp, those guys have a lot to learn and a fairly short amount of time to do so.
"Just the same thing, you know true freshmen," Turner said. "You got to get them in there. Learn the playbook, get some experience, and get them in some good-on-good stuff with the (first team), let them rep and get them used to playing at this level. It's all mental for them because, obviously, physically they are there."
