DANIA BEACH, Fla. — For now, No. 7 Clemson still has its defensive stars.
Defensive end KJ Henry, defensive tackle Tyler Davis and defensive lineman Bryan Bresee said they still have not made up their minds on their NFL future. The three draft eligible players said they will reassess their situation following Friday’s Orange Bowl against No. 6 Tennessee.
“There’s a great group coming back, and I could be a part of that,” Henry said from the Le Meridien Conference Center on Wednesday. “I’ve been elbowing some of these guys around here and Coach (Dabo Swinney) has been teasing them all, but we have some decisions to make.
“If everybody on the offense were to swing this thing back and a lot of the guys who’re supposed to go out on the defense were to come back, it could be a very special year next year. So, we’ll see.”
Not everyone is coming back on offense. Tight end Davis Allen and Offensive tackle Jordan McFadden announced on Tuesday they plan to enter their names into the NFL Draft pool.
However, there are some who are coming back. On Dec. 21, Swinney announced that multiple players have told him they are coming back for another season. He said they will be bigger than any of the recruits they signed on Dec. 21.
He also said it caught him by surprise when they told him they were coming back. Could one of them be Bresee?
If so, he is not saying.
“I haven’t even looked in on it yet. I am just focused on this game, and I will worry about it when the season is over,” Bresee said. “I am just ready to play.”
Of course, defensive end Myles Murphy and linebacker Trenton Simpson have announced their plans to enter the NFL Draft. Murphy has opted out of playing in the Orange Bowl, while Simpson will not be able to play due to an injured ankle he suffered in the ACC Championship Game.
The Tigers and Volunteers will kick things off at 8 p.m. on Friday. The game will be televised by ABC.
