Mukuba on Clemson’s secondary: “I believe we got the best in the country”

Andrew Mukuba (1), who is listed as Clemson's starting nickelback, is highly confident in the Clemson secondary, which includes returning starting CB Nate Wiggins (2).

by Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Fri Sep 01 07:00:05 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON - With a lot of attention going to the Clemson offense this season, third-year defensive back Andrew Mukuba reminded Tiger fans this week that the defense is quite the talented unit as well. In fact, Mukuba believes they have the best in the country in one particular area.

“I believe we got the best (secondary) in the country for sure with Nate Wiggins, with (Sheridan Jones) being the older guy with a lot of snaps, a lot of experience, which plays a big role in this game we’re playing today and then with Jeadyn (Lukus) having a lot of snaps too, with me and RJ (Mickens) having a lot of snaps too and a lot of starts,” Mukuba said. “The experience, the connection, the chemistry, that’s just going to help us a lot.”

This may be hard for some fans to believe looking at the statistics from last year, ranking 76th in passing defense (232 YPG) and 106th in 20+ yard pass plays allowed (48). However, one bright side is that every player who had at least one interception last year is still with the Tigers. Mickens led the team last season with three, while linebackers Jeremiah Trotter and Barrett Carter each had two. With all of these veterans who made big plays last season returning, that developing chemistry is something that Mukuba identifies as key to why Clemson’s secondary is the best in the country.

“I feel like that’s how big plays happen, just things like busted coverage, just things like that. But I feel like it’s definitely important because we’re all on the same page. We … kind of think alike,” Mukuba said regarding the importance of chemistry among the secondary players. “It definitely slows the game down a little bit for me because I feel like at this point, I’m playing with my help … It kind of simplifies the game down to be a lot easier, a lot slower for me to where I can make more plays and just play fast.”

Mukuba did talk a little offense though this week. After facing the Klubnik-led offense throughout the spring and summer, he’s learned quite a bit about the Tigers’ starting quarterback. One primary thing he talked about, though, is how Cade Klubnik possesses some dual-threat ability, which not a lot of people give him credit for.

“(Klubnik)’s sneaky fast,” Mukuba stated. “People don’t think he’s fast, but if he gets out in the open, I don’t think anybody can really catch him for it because he can really run. That’s probably the underrated thing in his game, but Cade, he can run.”

Duke starting quarterback Riley Leonard threw 20 touchdowns and just six interceptions last season and had almost 3,000 passing yards. Furthermore, he was the top rusher for the Blue Devils last season with 699 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. That dual-threat ability is something that Mukuba and the rest of the secondary are preparing for in the season opener.

“With their quarterback, obviously he’s a good quarterback. He can do both run and pass. He’s a threat with both; he’s a dual-threat quarterback,” Mukuba said. “But as DBs, we’re going to do what we’re supposed to do, which is cover or play zone or whatever it is.”

The Tigers' season will start on Labor Day, kicking off the season against the Duke Blue Devils (8 p.m./ESPN).