The Kids Can Play: Woodaz says freshmen will make their mark on the defense

Dee Crayton will be counted on to provide depth this season.

by Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Thu Aug 24 15:22:34 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON – Clemson’s defense received an infusion of youth with the 2023 recruiting class, but the freshmen are not just young but also talented.

Football season is just around the corner with Clemson’s opener on Monday, September 4 against ACC-rival Duke (8 p.m./ESPN), followed by the home opener against Charleston Southern on Saturday, September 9 (2:15 p.m./ACC Network).

While the offense will undoubtedly look different than last season, the defense will also have some new faces. But, according to sophomore Wade Woodaz, the young players have improved and are creating depth on the defensive front.

“A lot of the young guys have gotten a lot better, which is building depth, is the key to going far, and seeing, like, flashes of sparks from young guys is really promising, knowing we can throw somebody in the game and the standard doesn’t change,” Woodaz said. "They'll be able to go make plays.”

One of those young players is linebacker Dee Crayton. The four-star player committed to Clemson in June of 2022 and made a huge impact at his Georgia high school. He recorded 75 tackles his senior year, including 20 for a loss. That year, he also had two interceptions, including a pick-six. Crayton is surely a player who will make an impact during his Clemson career.

“Dee is extremely flashy and quick. That’s the main thing. He’s fast,” Woodaz said. “He can move downhill very quick, but he’s also, like, a very hard worker. He (isn’t going to) duck away from putting in work. So, that’s a good trait to have, especially when people leave in the future, and I know (he) will step up in a leadership position.”

Last year was a good year for the defense, but there were areas to improve on, primarily regarding turnovers. Safety R.J. Mickens led the team in interceptions with three, and the Tigers had a total of 13 all season. With the return of veteran players such as defensive end Xavier Thomas and safety Andrew Mukuba, this defensive unit has a lot of experience to help develop these younger players and be a formidable unit in the upcoming season.

“We were pretty good last year, but I feel like we have more depth and I feel like we’re extremely flexible, like, most everybody on our defense is extremely athletic,” Woodaz said. “You got Xavier Thomas at D-end, like, that dude can (freaking) fly, and then Mukuba has been locked in this camp, and then us three linebackers, I feel like, we’re all very dynamic and complement each other and a lot of the young guys in the secondary have been flashing.”

Xavier Thomas deciding to stay at Clemson for one final season was probably the biggest surprise of the offseason, even though he did suffer a foot injury in 2022. During his five seasons with the Tigers, he has compiled 96 tackles, 30 for loss, and 14.5 sacks. In fact, he has had at least two sacks every season he has played. If he had declared for the NFL Draft, he would have had a chance to be drafted.

Players such as Thomas and Mukuba can help teach these younger players, and it currently seems that is going quite well. The first test this defense will have against a preseason-ranked team will be when the Tigers take on Florida State at home on Saturday, September 23. The Seminoles are currently ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll while Clemson is No. 9. Clemson is set to face three teams currently ranked - Florida State, Notre Dame (No. 13), and North Carolina (No. 21).