How good can Clemson's front seven be in 2023?

Clemson has become a pipeline of defensive talent to the NFL. Sure, Trevor Lawrence and Deshaun Watson may get the most attention among Clemson players in the NFL, but make no mistake, the front seven is where the Tigers make their money.

Year after year, we watch players from Clemson's defensive front selected in the NFL Draft. This past spring, defensive tackle Bryan Bresee and defensive end Myles Murphy were selected with consecutive picks at the end of the first round, Bresee to the Saints and Murphy to the Bengals.

When the Tigers are at their best, they're setting the tone with a dominant defensive front. 2016's National Championship team featured Carlos Watkins, Albert Huggins, and Carlos Watkins, along with a plethora of other future NFL defensive linemen. 2018's undefeated championship team was spearheaded by Clelin Ferrell, Dexter Lawrence, and Christian Wilkins.

Now, as the Tigers look to get back to the College Football Playoff in 2023, they'll be relying on another strong front seven. Per Dean Straka of CBS Sports, Clemson's defensive front will be among the nation's best. Straka has Clemson ranked at No. 4 in his rankings of college football's front sevens, behind just Georgia, Michigan, and Penn State.

The group is led of course by the duo Barrett Carter and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. at linebacker. Both will push for All-American status and will likely land on the Butkus Award watch list. Across the defensive line, Clemson is led by grad seniors Tyler Davis and Ruke Orhorhoro. Former 5-star Xavier Thomas, another fifth-year senior, is back on the edge and looking to put together a strong season after a large portion of his career has been cut short by injuries.

A strong group of freshmen, led by 5-stars Peter Woods and TJ Parker, will play a big factor as well. Both Woods and Parker will play early and often, and fellow freshman Stephiylan Green, who showed up big in the spring game, will provide some strong depth.

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