Clemson Position 360: Defensive Tackle

Peter Woods and Payton Page will play a key role on the D-line, with Woods slated to see more time at D-end this year.

Ryan Kantor - Contributor - Saturday, June 15 2024

This offseason, we’ll give you a full 360-degree view of each position group, evaluating how they performed last season, who they lost and gained, and what to expect in 2024. We continue with defensive tackle, which has historically been the calling card of the Clemson program.

2023 Performance

Four of the top nine defensive tackle PFF grades in the ACC came from Clemson Tigers. No. 2 in the ACC and tops among the Tigers was true freshman Peter Woods (87.6), who needed no acclimation time to become an impact player at the college level. Even with his quick success, he was limited to 301 snaps by the experienced depth in front of him.

First and foremost was Tyler Davis, who came back for a fifth season and continued to be a major difference maker. After injuries marred chunks of his career, he had a healthy final season and posted an 85.5 PFF grade, 34 tackles, and 3.5 tackles for loss. He was absolutely elite in rush defense, with an excellent 90.8 grade against the run. Despite being 6-foot-2, 300lbs, he has a few measurables that NFL scouts don’t love (short arms, poor shuttle time, etc.), but as a college player, he was outstanding.

After waiting in the wings for ages, Ruke Orhorhoro finally got his chance to start last season in what was also his fifth year at Clemson. He tallied five sacks and a rock-solid 75.8 PFF grade in 409 snaps.

Behind those three stars, Payton Page (237 snaps) and DeMonte Capehart (174 snaps) found some time to shine, both posting PFF grades above 75.0. Capehart collected five tackles for loss.

Departures & Additions

The Atlanta Falcons selected Orhorhoro in the second round. Davis went to the LA Rams in the sixth round. Woods is reportedly moving to defensive end, meaning Clemson will have to replace three high-performers in the middle of the defense. Caden Story, who only played 56 snaps, will also move from DT to DE.

The Tigers bring in two true freshmen to supplement the unit. Hevin Brown-Shuler is a 247 Composite 4-star from Pace Academy in Atlanta. He’s a big 6-foot-5, 290lbs summer-enrollee. Champ Thompson is a 247 Composite 3-star, also from Atlanta, who had his fair share of high-major program offers.

2024 Expectations

Clemson was very strong up the middle last year, and it will be challenging to replicate it with so much talent moving on to the NFL and going to defensive end. DeMonte Capehart and Payton Page should be a solid starting duo, though.

Entering Capehart’s fifth year at Clemson, this season feels a lot like last season did for Orhorhoro. If he can stay healthy, he has a good shot to make himself into an NFL draft pick like Orhorhoro did. The story isn’t too different for Page, who will be a fourth-year player and also has a bigger opportunity than he has in his prior seasons at Clemson. Both were solid in reserve roles last year and I expect them to take the opportunity and run.

Another player in a similar position is Tré Williams. He has been at Clemson for four seasons but only played in 30 games due to injury. He hasn’t posted a PFF grade above 65.0 in any of the past three seasons but has also dealt with nagging injuries that may have played a role in that. With Capehart, Page, and Williams, Clemson has a surprisingly veteran core at defensive tackle.

Two redshirt freshmen from Georgia are also poised for bigger roles as part of the critical depth at tackle: Stephiylan Green and Vic Burley. Green had a big performance in the spring game with four sacks, yielding optimism for his 2024 readiness.

Clemson fans love stories of players who wait their turn, stick it out, and benefit from it. There are plenty of opportunities for that at defensive tackle this season. I’d hoped Clemson would make a portal addition at defensive end so they could keep Woods at tackle, but giving these veteran’s their chance is also commendable. Additionally, with Chris Rumph now leading the charge as DE Coach, DEs Jahiem Lawson and Cade Denhoff have decent odds of breakout campaigns that allow Woods to move back to tackle if needed.

Overall, defensive tackle seems bound to take a step back from 2023, but that doesn’t mean it will become a weakness, especially relative to their peers in the ACC.