Why Clemson football's defensive performance in spring game encouraged Dabo Swinney (2025)

CLEMSON — Clemson football's defense lost in the annual spring game Saturday at Memorial Stadium, but its play from its first-team unit pleased coach Dabo Swinney.

The starting defense was without cornerbacks Ashton Hampton and Jeadyn Lukus and defensive tackles DeMonte Capehart and Stephiylan Green because of injuries. Swinney and his staff limited defensive end T.J. Parker and defensive tackle Peter Woods' snaps and placed cornerback Avieon Terrell and safety Khalil Barnes in "non-tackle" jerseys.

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Despite these limitations, Clemson's first-team defense stifled quarterback Cade Klubnik and the starting offense, generating an interception and holding it to two field-goal attempts, no touchdowns.

"That was really good to see," Swinney said. "... That's an area that we have to be better at this year is red zone defense. When you win on red zone defense, you hold them to a field goal."

Clemson was tied for 51st in FBS in red-zone defense last season. It is among the fixes Swinney is asking of defensive coordinator Tom Allen, who was hired from Penn State after the Nittany Lions finished with the No. 5 red-zone defense in 2024.

Allen has injected energy and enthusiasm into Clemson's defense this spring. His emphasis on the fundamentals, especially tackling, and simplifying the game so players don't overthink has been huge for its players.

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"He talks about tackling every sentence when he talks about defense," Barnes said. "Putting the focus on everything and just us honing in. Instead of what to do, just how to tackle and getting back to the fundamentals, it's been good for us."

Allen's energy has even trickled down to some of the depth players who made huge plays Saturday. Cornerback Branden Strozier, who started opposite of Terrell, recorded two pass breakups. Defensive tackle Hevin Brown-Shuler logged a tackle for loss, and defensive ends Darien Mayo and Jaheim Lawson both recorded a sack.In order to avoid injuries to the quarterbacks, coach Dabo Swinney gave them non-contact status and quickly whistled a sack whenever a defender got within arms' length of the quarterbacks.

MORE FROM SPRING GAME: Dabo Swinney on Cade Klubnik criticism, Clemson football's spring transfer portal plan

Overall, Clemson's defense forced three turnovers, logged four sacks and had 13 tackles for loss.

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Allen laid a strong foundation this spring despite injuries ravaging Clemson's defense. Swinney expects his team to be at full health when preseason practice begins in August, and he hopes the defense's play in the spring game is a sign of what is to come.

"We saw some explosive hits out there today, but we've worked hard on the red zone, we've worked hard on some situational stuff," Swinney said. "But again, very incomplete defense. A lot of guys not available, so more work to be done. But as far as what we could get done with the group that we had, I would say, certainly, job well done by Coach Allen."

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him atdcarter@gannett.comand follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football: How defense in spring game pleased Dabo Swinney