Lannden Zanders took a lot of heat following the Clemson Tigers’ loss to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. But it was not all on him.
The Tigers were up and down on the backend of its defense in 2020 and in the end the inconsistency caught up with them.
A lot of their issues had to do with experience, or lack thereof. Zanders was a first-time starter at strong safety, while Ray Thornton and Jalyn Phillips played very little prior to 2020, as well. Then there is redshirt freshman R.J. Mickens, who only took 36 snaps last year.