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LOOK: Clemson linebacker sets lofty goal for 2022 season

Barkley-Truaxby: Barkley Truax05/10/22BarkleyTruax
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Clemson's Trenton Simpson should be one of the best linebackers in the country in 2022. (John Byrum/Getty Images)

Former five-star linebacker Trenton Simpson saw a spike in his production during his sophomore season with the Clemson Tigers, and expects an even higher jump for year three. He has now set a goal of at least 10 sacks for the 2022 season, he announced on social media.

As the tweet points out, Simpson leads the way for the most hits on a quarterback by a Clemson defender since 2016 with 13. The only player to even come close to that many in a single season was Clelin Farrell with 12 in both 2016 and 2017.

ESPN’s Todd McShay currently has Simpson going No. 22 overall in his way too early 2023 NFL Mock Draft, and ESPN also has him as a member of their way too early preseason First-Team All-American list. Vegas even has given him the 17th best odds to be selected No. 1 overall next season, so 10 sacks certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

In two season’s with the Tigers, Simpson has compiled 10 sacks total, six of which came during his sophomore season in 2021. The blue-chipper hit the ground running when he came into the program out of Charlotte, North Carolina, producing numbers from the moment he stepped onto the football field each Saturday.

Simpson has compiled 93 tackles, including 58 solo, two pass deflections and one forced fumble. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound linebacker saw his numbers spike in his sophomore season, and had the best game of his career against Louisville, notching 10 total tackles (seven solo) and 2.0 sacks.

With help from Simpson’s production, Clemson finished in the top five of all defenses in the country last season in nearly every statistical category. They allowed just over 300 yards per game and were the No. 2 scoring defense in the nation.

Brent Venables has been a staple for Simpson’s defensive unit for more than a decade. Despite now being the head coach of  Oklahoma, there may be just as much talent on the 2022 Clemson defense as there was a season ago. It’s now up to Wes Goodwin, the first-year defensive coordinator who has been a pupil under Venables for the last seven seasons, to get the most out of this year’s group.

“It can be really good, they can be as good as they want to be,” Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney said after the Tigers’ spring game about Goodwin’s group.

“They have the type of depth that gives you a little bit of room for error, but I think we have a chance to be a really special group in the defensive line. I think we are going to be fast and athletic at linebacker and I think we are going to finally have some great experience in the secondary.”