Entering this season, the biggest question mark about Clemson defensively was how its young defensive line would perform after the entire starting front four from a year ago – Austin Bryant, Clelin Ferrell, Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins – moved on to the NFL.
Through the first three games, Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables has been pleased with the performance and growth of the Tigers’ D-line unit, especially the five-man rotation at defensive end – Xavier Thomas, Logan Rudolph, Justin Foster, K.J. Henry and Justin Mascoll.
“I think they’ve gotten better,” Venables said to the media Monday.