Tiger Top 10 Defense: No. 10

The Clemson Tigers have so many playmakers on defense, today we start the process of picking the 10 most important players to the Tigers' success.

The 2021 football season is quickly approaching, and now it is time to look at the 10 players on defense who the Tigers will look to if they want to make it back to the College Football Playoff this season.

Today, we continue with No. 10 on our list of players for the Tigers:

No. 10: Baylon Spector

 Spector returns for his fourth season and his second as a full-time starter after the coaching staff credited him with a team-high 72 tackles (10.5 for loss), a team-high 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 2020.

Former key reserve who shined in his first year in a starting role in 2020 … enters 2021 credited with 125 career tackles (17.5 for loss), 6.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two pass breakups in 863 snaps over 42 games (11 starts) … one-half of a linebacker tandem with James Skalski that Dabo Swinney calls “The Bruise Brothers.”

2020: Second-team All-ACC honoree by the AP … All-ACC Academic Team selection … credited with a team-high 72 tackles (10.5 for loss), a team-high 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup in 517 snaps over 12 games (11 starts) … started at Wake Forest, posting six tackles including a half-sack to collect team defensive player of the game honors … split a tackle for loss among his two tackles vs. The Citadel … earned Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and ACC Linebacker of the Week vs. Virginia after being credited with 13 tackles (seven solo, 1.5 for loss) and a half-sack … also shared team defensive player of the game honors against Virginia … added six tackles (2.5 for loss) with 1.5 sacks vs. No. 7 Miami … contributed four tackles at Georgia Tech … made four tackles (0.5 for loss) vs. Syracuse … notched a team-high eight tackles (one for loss) and a forced fumble vs. Boston College … collected team defensive player of the game honors after posting a team-high nine tackles, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery at No. 4 Notre Dame … contributed three tackles including a sack vs. Pitt … notched seven tackles at Virginia Tech … posted five tackles in ACC Championship Game vs. No. 2 Notre Dame … recorded five tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in Sugar Bowl vs. No. 3 Ohio State.