Henry says Clemson's defense left no questions this spring, but there's still work to do

KJ Henry is confident in the defense.

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Wed Apr 27 12:32:03 GMT-04:00 2022

CLEMSON – No questions, just assertions.

Senior defensive line leader KJ Henry doesn't have any questions about his unit heading into the summer, just a strong, confident belief in their ability and potential.

However, he was also quick to point out that potential means nothing if he and his teammates don't put the work in during the dog days of summer camp.

Clemson's defense – especially the defensive line – put on a clinic during the Tigers' annual Orange and White game earlier this month. Still, Henry said he doesn't put too much stock into an open scrimmage that was missing much of the offense's star power.

"It's what I expect of us every time we take the field, but at the same time, I'd be remiss if I didn't notice some great offensive linemen who were out," Henry told the media after Clemson's spring game. "People on social media probably won't even pay attention to stuff like that. We know what it is, we know what we've got, and we know what we can bring on both sides of the ball. Definitely, I'm proud of what the defense brought today."

By getting the younger players much-needed playing time and reps, the defense continued its goal of building quality depth along the defensive line.

"I think it builds confidence for everybody when we can rep so many people," Henry said. "Then we got to the second half when a lot of the older guys were sitting down for the rest of the game. It's all about building depth right now on both sides of the ball. That's big for us. I think Coach Swinney hit on it in the locker room. The talent is above and beyond on the team this year, and we really believe it. The depth has to match it, and we have to get guys back healthy."

As the spring semester winds down, Henry and the defense will turn their attention to the next step in the process: offseason training.

"I think we'll learn a lot about ourselves going through summer training," he said. "I definitely think it's a crucial part for this d-line. We've got potential, but it doesn't mean anything until we put it out there. The next step for us is having a great summer and really developing, getting us healthy, getting us stronger and faster, and really honing in on our craft to be a great d-line this year. We've got to earn it, and we're going to try and earn it each day this summer."

For Henry, there are no questions about the abilities of his teammates. The only question is will they put in the work necessary to get the job done.

"No questions. Just assertions at the end of the day," he said. "We have the potential, but it means nothing until we show it and put it on film. We have to earn that. It doesn't just come. Day in and day out, we have to put the work in to really get the results that we want. I'm just excited to take that next step with everybody."