Dabo Swinney jokes that Clemson would be 'the easiest job in America' if everyone worked like Jeremiah Alexander

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney believes he could have the easiest job in America, if only one standard were met. He would want all of his players to possess the same work ethic that linebacker Jeremiah Alexander has.

Alexander is getting ready to enter his fourth season of college football, having transferred to Clemson from Alabama this offseason. He played limited time on special teams and as a defensive reserve in his time with the Crimson Tide.

In that short span, he has already made an impression on Swinney. He comes to the Tigers with a degree in hand and two seasons of eligibility remaining.

“If everybody worked like Jeremiah Alexander, this would be the easiest job in America,” Swinney said. “He’s unbelievable and you just pull for a kid like that. His commitment is like — here’s what’s expected and he’s up here [raises hand above head]. He’s just a phenomenal young man. Great parents. He’s a graduate already. He’s got two years of eligibility and I’m so glad he’s here.”

Smith enters the season behind a couple of other linebackers on the Tigers depth chart in Sammy Brown and Wade Woodaz. He also faces challenges in learning a new system after changing programs.

Although Jeremiah Alexander might not start, he’ll still play a valuable role off the bench and is expected to see plenty of action. His experience will also be a major asset in helping to develop the younger players on the roster.

“We needed another veteran guy,” Swinney said. “We’ve got a lot of young guys and we needed another real veteran guy. Even though he hadn’t played a lot — he’s had some injuries and stuff — but man, he has truly been committed. He’s been above and beyond in everything that’s been asked of him. So excited to see him get out there and get to work.

“We need some depth. We know what we’ve got in Sammy and Wade obviously. Those guys are proven guys for us here. Then Jeremiah has done everything he can in his power to give himself the best chance to go compete. Learn a new system. Being in elite shape. He’s just a grinder, man. He’s one of those type of people that you really pull for because he’s done the work.”

Clemson is coming off of an ACC Championship victory and hoping to make the College Football Playoff for the eight time under Swinney. The Tigers are set to kick off the on Aug. 30 against LSU.