Clemson’s football program didn’t get what it wanted on offense in Week 1 of the college football game against Georgia Tech. However, the Tigers got everything they wanted with their defense and special teams Yellow Jackets. Let’s take a look at the best Clemson football players from Clemson, Georgia Tech in the first week of the college football season. Dabo Swinney had to like what he saw from some of these players.
Clemson football standout from Georgia Tech: Brian Bracey
Clemson football has a star-studded defense. Bracey is part of it. It’s worth noting that Bracey is getting a lot of attention from opposing offenses, even though he only recorded four tackles against the Tigers in Week 1 against Georgia Tech. He needs to be on the defensive. Because Bracy is the central focus of opposing offensive coordinators, it frees up his teammates to make more plays, which is exactly what we saw against Georgia Tech on Monday. Bracey’s impact is more than a box score. That said, he had two tackles for loss and half a sack.
Barrett Carter
The beauty of Clemson’s defense lies in the fact that there are good players at every level of the defense. This unit isn’t looking for one or two guys for big plays. There are several playmakers in this group. Carter is one of them. The linebacker had seven solo tackles to lead the Tigers against Georgia Tech. One of those struggles was for bankruptcy. Clemson’s defensive line is very good at preventing the opposing offensive line from pushing up or creating running lanes for the running back. This sets Carter and other linebackers up for success, but let’s be clear: Carter was on top form against Georgia Tech, reading plays and realizing the flow of action to be in the right place at the right time.
Trenton Simpson
This could be a defensive player that many NFL draft analysts and film study geeks are really excited about. Simpson is agile and explosive in his movements. This gives him an above average ability to close gaps and finish efforts. Simpson had six solo tackles for the Tigers, second on the team against Georgia Tech. It will be a fun linebacker to watch as this season unfolds in the Palmetto State.
Clemson Georgia Tech star: KJ Henry
The defensive end of the Tigers was on the field against the Yellow Jackets. He collected seven tackles, two and a half tackles for loss and added a sack. His influence permeated the rest of the game. Georgia Tech felt the full force of his talent, and the Yellow Jackets had no solution for Henry all night in Atlanta.
This is evident in the depth and balance of Clemson’s defense. A front seven man makes an impactful play at every moment. Some players attract the attention of the defense, while others clear it. All of these Clemson football players are well-educated on the defensive side of the ball. They also know they need to be leaders in a team whose offense can continue to fight. Giving up just 10 points to Georgia Tech was the major showing the Tigers and Dabo Swinney needed in their Week 1 college football showdown on Monday night.
