Syracuse Football: Catching up with Clemson ahead of pivotal 2019 matchup

3. Take us through all the major losses for Clemson this past season and who are some of the key additions who are hoping to fill those holes?

“The major losses for Clemson come along the defensive line and in the front-seven. The Tigers lost all four starters off of last year’s national leading defensive line in Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell, Dexter Lawrence, and Austin Bryant. Wilkins, Ferrell, and Lawrence were all drafted in the first round.

The Tigers also lost starting cornerback Trayvon Mullen and linebackers Kendall Joseph and Tre Lamar.

Offensively, the biggest losses are wide receiver Hunter Renfrow- who made a ton of huge grabs for the Tigers- and Mitch Hyatt, who anchored the left tackle position as a four-year starter.

Though Clemson suffered some major losses, the Tigers have recruited at a high level and have several experienced and talented players who are ready to step into big roles. On the defensive line, some of the big names are Xavier Thomas, Nyles Pinckney, Justin Foster, and Jordan Williams. I think Syracuse fans should remember the monster sack that Thomas had on Eric Dungey to close out the game in Death Valley when he was just let free to rush the passer.

There’s still plenty of talent, for sure, but the Tigers will need leaders to step up- especially on defense.”