Under-radar Clemson d-lineman who is impressing in camp

CLEMSON — There are seven Clemson defensive lineman returning who have started a game before at Clemson.

It’s an impressive stat and one that explains why expectations are so high for the Tigers’ front four this fall.

With Tyler Davis, Bryan Bresee, Myles Murphy and others all back, Clemson is expected to be dominant up front. This group is drawing comparisons to the 2018 Clemson defensive line, which featured three first-round picks.

While there is plenty of talent returning, there are also players flying under-the-radar who are ready to show what they can do as well.

One of those is redshirt freshman Tre Williams.

The Connecticut native isn’t going to beat our Bresee or Davis for a starting job this year, but he can provide depth at an important position for the Tigers. Clemson has plenty of depth at defensive end but there are unproven reserves at defensive tackle. Williams might be unproven, but he’s a name college football fans should know soon.

Following Clemson’s scrimmage on Saturday, Davis was asked which player on the defensive line impressed him the most. His answer?

“Tre. Tre Williams,” Davis said. “He’s really going to help us a lot. He stood out the most to me.”

When you consider the talent that Clemson has on its defensive front, that’s quite a statement from Davis and one that came with no hesitation.

“He knows what to do now and he’s really getting after it. I really enjoy coaching him up and playing with him,” Davis said. “He’s definitely going to be a guy to look out for this year.”

Williams got his feet wet in college football last season, appearing in two games before suffering a season-ending injury. He didn’t get many opportunities to showcase his skillset last fall, but that should change this year.

Davis was one of the top defensive tackles in the country coming out of high school in 2020, but he didn’t get talked about much as the Tigers signed several five-star prospects that year.

Still, he was a top-100 player who is ready to show why he was so highly recruited come this fall.

“Since the first day he got here he’s always shown flashes of what he can be. … He’s always shown flashes and today it was put on display what he can do,” Murphy said. “He was getting in the backfield a whole bunch, got a field goal block. Was doing everything. It was a big effort day for him. That’s why he stood out today.”

Photo courtesy Maddie Williams/@ClemsonFB