How Stephiylan Green Has Emerged as an Impact Player for the Clemson Tigers

It’s been a long time coming for Clemson Tigers defensive tackle Stephiylan Green. After waiting the past two years for a moment in the Tigers’ deep defensive line rotation, the redshirt sophomore has started to make a noticeable impact on the field to begin 2025.

This past Tuesday, Green spoke to the media about his recent growth, crediting it to his environment and the relentless work ethic he has had behind the scenes.

“The work has finally been showing up,” he said. “I was playing a role and trying to get better every day. We’ve been working hard all summer, and as a team, we’ve been together, so Peter Woods, [DeMonte Capehart], we’ve all been pushing each other to get better. So it’s just finally showing up, and I’m happy to see the results.”

Through five games this season, Green has recorded nine tackles, two for a loss and a career-high two sacks.

With projected first-round draft picks Peter Woods and T.J. Parker anchoring the defensive front, Green has had no shortage of talent to learn from. It’s a dynamic that’s helped the entire group evolve. Whether it’s collapsing the pocket or stuffing the run, his confidence and physicality have started to mirror the same traits that make his teammates NFL-caliber prospects.

Defensive line coach Nick Eason has also played a huge role in the sophomores’ development, challenging the entire position group to think about their impact on every snap and embrace the hard-nose mentality that comes with playing in Clemson’s front seven.

“He tells us, ‘When you’re out there, does it matter, are you going to be a factor out there?’ So every time I go out there – every play – I try to make myself matter out there and be destructive,” Green explained. “Win my one-on-ones and make sure there’s no drop off. If someone gets injured, and someone else has to step up, there shouldn’t be a drop-off. Everybody should be able to impact the game.”

While Eason’s guidance has helped the defensive tackle sharpen his mindset, the combined energy of defensive coordinator Tom Allen, alongside Eason, pushes everyone on the defensive front to reach their fullest potential.

“[Tom Allen] brings a lot of energy,” he said with a grin. “Before our bye week, I was literally thinking to myself, ‘He needs to come out of the box,’ because he brings so much energy and we feed off of it. Like coach Eason brings a lot of energy, so with him and Tom Allen together, it throws a little fire on us and makes us go even more.”

As mentioned before, Green is having a career year, showcasing the versatile skill set that made him a Clemson Tiger in the first place. Even when it doesn’t show up in the stat sheet, he knows he’s making an impact.

“I feel like I’m really versatile, I can do a lot of finesse and power moves,” he explained. “Most of my stats have been coming off of power moves, but a lot of stuff doesn’t show up in the stat sheet, so I could win a matchup and still not get the sack.”

As Clemson leans on a deep and talented defensive line to create disruption for Boston College signal caller Dylan Lonergan this weekend, Green’s recent play ensures he’ll continue to be a critical factor to the Tigers’ defense, both now and for years to come.