Wes Goodwin breaks down Clemson’s options at linebacker

After a successful first season as the Clemson defensive coordinator, Wes Goodwin — who also coaches linebackers — is excited about the potential for the position in 2023. The Tigers return two honorable mention All-ACC linebackers from this past season in Jeremiah Trotter and Barrett Carter.

However, Goodwin is also excited about players who will step into larger roles this season with Trenton Simpson leaving for an NFL career. With Clemson kicking off its spring practice this week, Goodwin broke down some of the players he expects to take a leap forward.

“I think TJ Dudley, Wade Woodaz,” he said. “Throw Kobe McCloud in the mix, too. Really excited about Wade and the experience he got last year. The game wasn’t too big for him. TJ’s a guy who just loves being out there on the grass and in the weight room. He just loves it. He can’t get enough of football and just has that dog mentality every day and shows up. Those guys especially, they’ve got tremendous leadership. They do everything the right way. They love it. They can’t get enough of it. Really excited about them going into this year.”

Woodaz appeared in all 14 games for the Tigers as a true freshman in 2022. He finished with 20 tackles (5.5 for loss), 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a blocked punt. Goodwin lauded his ability to play multiple different positions, saying that versatility will be valuable this upcoming season.

“He has great coverage ability, so he can go out there and play in space,” Goodwin said of Woodaz. “My viewpoint at the linebacker position, just kind of transitioning ahead, is to be more athletic and being able to play in space better with Trotter and Barrett. Those are kind of the ideal, prototype backers in today’s world in my viewpoint. TJ and Wade and the other guys that we have in that room have that ability to play in space, rush off the edge, play man coverage on tight ends (and) running backs and feel good about it.

“Wade’s kind of unique. He can go back there and play safety, but against these teams that play 12 personnel you can put him at Sam and he can play a nine technique and kick the crap out of the tight end. He can play stack backer. So he’s an awesome skillset to have on our team.”

The Tigers ranked 22nd in the country in points allowed (20.9 per game), tied for fourth in total sacks (44) and second in tackled for loss (111) in 2022. With the group of linebackers Clemson has returning, it will hope for similar results in 2023.

The Tigers will have the next month or so to work on their defense before hosting their annual spring game on April 15.