Tiger Top 10 Defense: No. 9
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. 9 on our list of players for the Tigers:
No. 9: Trenton Simpson
The transfer of linebacker Mike Jones Jr. — one of Clemson’s two departing starters from 2020 — creates additional opportunity at Clemson’s nickel/sam linebacker spot, a position that Trenton Simpson seized down the stretch of his true freshman season along with his role as a situational edge rusher. Despite playing shy of 300 snaps and starting only three of his 12 games played, Simpson finished tied for second on the team with 4.0 sacks.
2020: Produced an impressive true freshman campaign as he was credited with 32 tackles (6.5 for loss), 4.0 sacks and a forced fumble in 281 snaps over 12 games (three starts) … along with fellow true freshmen Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee, their four sacks each tied William Perry (4.0 in 1981), Ricky Sapp (4.0 in 2006) and Shaq Lawson (4.0 in 2013) for third-most sacks by a Clemson true freshman all-time … made collegiate debut at Wake Forest, adding one tackle … recorded two tackles including his first career sack vs. The Citadel … contributed six tackles at Georgia Tech … added two tackles vs. Syracuse … made three tackles with a sack and forced fumble vs. Boston College … registered seven tackles (0.5 for loss) at No. 4 Notre Dame … notched his third sack of the season among his two tackles vs. Pitt … added four tackles (one for loss) at Virginia Tech … had two tackles for loss and a sack among his five tackles in ACC Championship Game vs. No. 2 Notre Dame.
