Clemson Safety Group: Experience on Paper, Questions in Practice

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The 2025 season marks a shift in fulltime defensive philosophy for Clemson, with new coordinator Tom Allen bringing a 425 as its base scheme that emphasizes versatility and consistency from the safety position. His scheme places a responsibility on safeties to cover space, support the run, and step into hybrid roles. That makes this group one of the most important and potentially most vulnerable units on the Core ThreeThe core of the group will be Khalil Barnes Jr., Kylon Griffin RJr., and Ricardo Jones So., but last season's PFF grades highlight both potential as well as inconsistencies and positional Barnes Jr.: A high performer in 2023, Barnes' overall PFF grade fell from 78 above average in 2023 to average in 2024, reflecting diminished consistency in all areas of his game. His passrush grade of 49 poor also points to struggles when used as a blitzer in Goodwin's scheme. Still, he displayed his playmaking instincts https://www.clemsontigersfansshop.com/278-Fletcher_Cothran_Jersey, leading the Tigers with three interceptions, the most among defensive Griffin RJr.: Griffin's overall grade dropped from 78 above average to 62 average, with a particularly low PFF score of 55 below average in run defense, showing he struggled to consistently support the run. While experienced and reliable in certain assignments, he must improve his versatility and Jones So.: Jones impressed in limited action, earning a PFF grade of 70 slightly above average Markus Dixon Jersey, but his lack of experience as a fulltime starter means he will need to develop quickly and avoid the dreaded sophomore slump to help fill the void left by QuestionsBehind the top three, the depth chart looks unsettled. Tyler Venables Gr. returns with experience and leadership, but his onfield impact has been inconsistent. Ronan Hanafin Jr., a converted receiver, is still carving out his role in the secondary and could see time in rotational packages. Rob Billings RSo. and Kylon Webb RSo., both in their third year in the program, bring length and athleticism but have logged very limited snaps. Can the team carve out some timespace at least Furman and Troy for these less experienced players to gain muchneeded live game reps?The biggest unknown is the nickel spot. In Allen's scheme, it's a vital role that often dictates the flexibility of the defense. At this stage, it's unclear whether one player will seize the job or if the Tigers will rotate bodies to cover the position to exploit matchups or address tendencies of the name we have not talked about that may absorb some of these snaps is CB Shelton Lewis Jr. In 2024, 78% of his snaps were in the slot. As is a running theme, his PFF grade dropped from 70 above average in 2023 to 54 below average in 2024. He also has not had a full workload in either of his two seasons of action, yet shows Loss of RJ MickensThe departure of RJ Mickens leaves a major hole in both playmaking and leadership. Mickens, who earned a PFF grade of 89 very good last season, had a knack for being around the ball and providing stability on the back end. Without him, someone from the current group must not only match his production but also emerge as a communicator and 's safety room carries the look of experience on the roster sheet, but production tells a slightly different story. Barnes and Griffin must raise their consistency after average 2024 grades, while Jones needs to prove he can sustain his level of play over a full workload. The departure of RJ Mickens leaves a major production and leadership void that the current group must address. Proven depth is where the risk lies: guys have been on campus but have logged minimal snaps. On paper, the group has age; in practice, it lacks proven reliability. For a defense that leans heavily on safeties https://www.clemsontigersfansshop.com/314-Corian_Gipson_Jersey, that gap could define whether this unit becomes a strength or remains somewhat of a is the first Shakin the Southland article by our new writer Jason Barker. Barker is a Clemson engineering graduate and passionate Tigers fan. He'll be bringing another analytical mindset to the writing crew here at STS. Be sure to give him a warm welcome in the comments.