Veteran safety says Clemson will be "ready for the moment" against Georgia

Nolan Turner and the Tigers return to Charlotte in September and look to be right back there in December (ACC photo).

by Zachary Wagner - Correspondent - Sun Aug 08 08:00:06 GMT-04:00 2021

Clemson safety Nolan Turner is back for an unprecedented sixth year in the Orange and White and is expecting big things from the Clemson defense that ranked among the nation's best in multiple categories last year.

Turner says that even though fall camp started this week, the guys in both the secondary and the rest of the defense have been working together all summer, bonding in hopes to have another trip to the ACC Championship game in Charlotte and beyond come December.

“It’s a blast, getting back here each summer with a new team,” Turner said after the first fall practice on Friday. “It’s exciting to find out what this team is going to be about, each team kind of has a similar DNA, but this team has a lot of talented dudes and committed guys so it’s been great to get out here on this field.”

Turner, who showed up to Tiger Town all the way back in 2016, is strapping up the pads for a sixth year thanks to the pandemic waiver meaning last year did not count toward his eligibility. The Alabama native said this year feels quite different than other ones knowing this will actually be his last year donning the Paw.

“I thought last year was going to be my last year,” said Turner. “Being granted another year is a blessing and a great opportunity and I can’t wait to spend one last year with these guys playing and competing.”

Looking forward to the first week of the season and the big matchup against Georgia, Turner says he’s confident that the Clemson defense's maturity and experience will be a big factor against the Bulldogs.

“I think we’ll definitely be ready for the moment, and this defense has played in a lot of big games,” Turner said. “We’re excited about it and looking forward to having the fans back, especially in a stadium like Bank of America. The atmosphere is going to be incredible, so being in a lot of big games is going to help us keep our poise and composure in the big moments.”

When asked who were the offseason standouts to watch, Turner kept the narrative alive about a certain freshman becoming a household name for Clemson fans this season.

“Yeah there’s a lot of guys that really stood out,” Turner said. “(Freshman RB Will) Shipley can fly, I mean, that’s pretty obvious. On the defensive side of the ball, (defensive back Andrew) Mukuba just came in and I love his work ethic and his range. He’s a good kid and he’s always asking questions and trying to get in the film room so that’s always something good to see out of a young guy.”

In a secondary that returns all but just one piece to the puzzle (now Georgia CB Derion Kendrick), the Clemson defense will most likely be led by the front four in a rotating door of talent up front. Turner said those guys can really help the secondary with the pressure they put on a quarterback.

“It’s nice seeing Bryan's (Bresee) pressure up there,” Turner said. “The speed we have off the edge and the shift we have with Bryan and TD (Tyler Davis) in the middle is huge for us. Seeing them come back and getting bigger and stronger and faster, definitely have some resemblance to that 2018 group.”

Turner, who made some nice plays on the ball in both Friday and Saturday’s open practices to the media, comes back to the Brent Venables-led defense with over 50 games of experience and 190 tackles to go along with six career interceptions. Turner will be the quarterback of the back seven and is looking to build off a nice 2020 season to cement his legacy further into the Clemson lore.