Through five games, Clemson’s defense has had its rough patches. But in the middle of the turbulence, one unit has kept showing up: the secondary, with Southern Miss transfer Corey Myrick at the front of the charge.
That group was tested again in Clemson’s 41-13 loss to No. 5 Miami on Oct. 3, and even in defeat, the back end came away with something to point to.
The Hurricanes came in rolling through the air, but Clemson’s defensive backs held quarterback Darian Mensah to season lows in completion percentage at 66% and touchdown passes with one. Malachi Toney, one of Miami’s most dangerous targets, was bottled up too, finishing with five catches for 40 yards.
Myrick said that kind of performance only adds to the group’s belief.
"It gives us a lot of confidence," said Myrick, who had a team-high eight tackles in the game. "Just, you know, I feel like we've been doing that all season, not just Miami. So just building that confidence every week."
The numbers back him up. Myrick leads Clemson with 43 total tackles through five games and has paced the team in tackles three times while finishing second in the other two outings.
That production has mattered for a secondary that entered the season with a lot of new faces. Fellow transfers Elliot Washington II and Jerome Carter III have both become important pieces, with Washington leading the team in interceptions with three and Carter tied for third on the team in tackles with 35.
Still, Myrick made it clear that good individual play only goes so far if the group doesn’t keep tightening up around it. The bye week gave Clemson a chance to clean up issues, and tackling was one of the big areas on the to-do list.
"We had a lot we could get better at too. If it's from tackling, knowing the schemes better, just starting to prepare for the next opponent," said Myrick, who stated on Tuesday that he has missed tackles.
"So, we attacked that bye week, just preparing for the next opponent. You know, still doing everything we did for the first five weeks and just continue to prepare."
The secondary also has to absorb a significant change moving forward. Nickel Corian Gipson is done for the season after meniscus surgery, a hit that leaves Clemson without one of its key contributors at one of the defense’s most demanding spots.
Auburn transfer Donovan Starr is expected to move into the starting job, with Misun Kelley staying in the primary backup role and also seeing snaps at cornerback.
Starr, a 5-foot-11 sophomore, has already started once this year. When Gipson was out against California, Starr got the nod and finished with two tackles.
Myrick said Starr is ready for the opportunity.
"He's ready. He been ready since the season started.
He flashed in camp a lot. He was actually one of the DBs that I feel was making that stretch on being a top DB and making them plays."
He also pointed to Starr’s coverage skills and his willingness to help against the run as traits that fit well in defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s system. Starr’s athletic background is eye-catching too: the Bloomington, Ill. native has been timed at 4.32 seconds in the 40-yard dash and owns a personal best of 6 feet, 9 inches in the high jump.
Clemson heads into Saturday’s game against Charleston Southern at 3-2 coming out of the bye, with seven regular-season games left and little margin for more missteps after its two losses. The chance now is to build on the stronger defensive moments while fixing the errors that have shown up in the defeats.
For Myrick, though, the focus stays narrow.
"Just take it a week at a time. Just play every game, and continue to execute every game that we can.
We can't really look forward [to] a seven-week season, however you want to say it. Just play every game that comes to us."
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