Clemson Position 360: Defensive end

TJ Parker looks to build on a strong freshman campaign.

by Ryan Kantor - Contributor - Tue Jun 18 12:30:09 GMT-05:00 2024

This offseason we’ll give you a full 360 on each position group, evaluating how they performed last season, who they lost and gained, and what to expect in 2024. We continue with our third position, defensive end. This was a major strength in the program, but it declined after the 2018 National Championship and has yet to exert its dominance since.

2023 Performance

A year ago, I was very skeptical of the decision to begin the season with Justin Mascoll (who struggled in prior years) and Xavier Thomas (who had a long injury/illness history) penciled in as the starters. Fortunately, Justin Mascoll had his best season as a Tiger, posting a 65.4 overall PFF grade. His pass rush still left something to be desired (1 sack), but he nonetheless proved to be a passable starter.

Thomas finally had a healthy season and earned a selection in the NFL draft. He only tallied three sacks but nevertheless did a solid job hurrying opposing QBs and earned a 79.8 PFF grade on the pass rush.

The biggest revelation was true freshman TJ Parker, who forced his way onto the field with strong play both against the run and the pass – leading all Clemson DEs in PFF grade in each department. Parker also led Clemson DEs with 5.5 sacks.

Additionally, Cade Denhoff saw 174 snaps, while another 131 snaps were divided up between AJ Hoffler (74), Jahiem Lawson (37), Zaire Patterson (14), and David Ojiegbe (11). All was not bad, but the group’s production fell short of the championship-level performance the position group enjoyed in 2018 and prior.

Departures & Additions

Thomas was a fifth-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals and Mascoll exhausted his eligibility. Additionally, Ojiegbe transferred to Pittsburgh.

Darien Mayo will be the only new defensive end on campus next season. He is a 6-foot-7 four-star prospect from Olney, MD. While he may not make an immediate impact, he was a highly sought-after recruit.

Defensive end was a spot where I felt Clemson could have been aggressive in the portal this offseason. Instead, they added a developmental prospect, Adam Kissayi, who was previously committed to Minnesota. After a brief time in Clemson, he entered the portal and re-committed to Minnesota.

With Clemson’s less-than-elite play over the past five seasons and underwhelming recruiting class, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and DE coach Lemanski Hall agreed to part ways. Filling the void is Chris Rumph, who comes back to Clemson from the NFL. He was last at Clemson in 2010. His intensity and experience could revitalize the position group. Of course, what could make a quicker impact is the move of Peter Woods, Clemson’s highest-graded (PFF) defensive player, from tackle to end. Defensive tackle Caden Story is also shifting over to defensive end.

2024 Expectations

There’s a chance Clemson will see tremendous improvement in this position compared to last season. Woods and Parker were Clemson’s highest-graded players at defensive tackle and end, respectively, and now will be starters from the season opener. Assuming Woods transitions to end well, that gives Clemson an elite starting duo.

Improving the depth starts with Coach Rumph. An experienced coach with his pedigree can get the most out of the Tigers’ former top prospects who have yet to make a major impact on the field. Prime among them is Denhoff, a high-four-star prospect who picked Clemson over Alabama. Lawson hasn’t made an impact on the field yet, but looked outstanding in the spring game and seems like he has already taken strides from just a season ago. Hoffler, Patterson, and Mayo round out the depth. All three are former four-star prospects who received loads of high-major offers.

I was extremely impressed by this group in the spring game, and with Woods joining them, I look forward to Clemson DEs having their best season since the Power Rangers were in town.