Looking Back and then Forward on the Defensive Second LevelClemson welcomed Tom Allen as its new defensive coordinator ahead of the 2025 season. Allen also brought along his son Thomas Allen, Jr. and Dabo Swinney elevated Ben Boulware to lead the position group. A drop-off after losing Brent Venables to Oklahoma was probably inevitable, but while successor Wes Goodwin brought all the X&O know how from the Venables system, he failed to bring the leadership and in game feel his mentor so remarkably possessed. Coach V left the LB room well-stocked upon his departure, with future NFL draft picks Trenton Simpson, Jeremiah Trotter, Jr., and Barrett Carter all in the fold just to name a few. Unfortunately, the LB position experienced a decline since, especially in 2024 when the Clemson defense got routinely gashed in the run game due to bad run fits and tackling.2025 wasnt a season anyone supporting Clemson wanted to see. It is hard to find a more disappointing year from preseason expectation to what transpired. 2008 comes to mind, and that obviously was when the change from Coach Bowden to Coach Swinney took place. I will say that linebacker play was better and certainly was an area that showed improvement as the season progressed under the Allens and Coach Boulware. The LSU game began with a missed tackle by Wade Woodaz that turned a potential TFL into a first down gain, but by the South Carolina game, we saw Woodaz make a huge tackle in space against the ever dangerous LaNorris Sellers to prevent an explosive run. Woodaz was playing by far the best football of his career down the stretch and unfortunately was not available for the bowl game.Sammy Brown took a big step in his first season as a full time starter. This was refreshing after we saw guys like Trenton Simpson and Barrett Carter not show much development after big first years in the program. Brown put together an All-ACC season and should be poised for even more in 2026 as the unquestioned alpha of the defense. I noted this about Brown in my position preview back in the fall: My hope for Brown is he can become an even more athletic version of Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. Trotter had outstanding instincts and football IQ, and those two things matched with Browns superior measurables would be scary for any opposing offense.Trotter Jr.s first full year starting: 678 snaps, 74 solo tackles, 13.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, 6 PBUsBrowns first full year starting: 734 snaps, 68 solo tackles, 13.5 TFLs, 5 sacks, 7 PBUsAs you can see above, Brown was almost identical in production across the board with Trotter. Hopefully Brown can be even better in 2026 just as Trotter was even better in his final season of 2023 before leaving early for the NFL draft.Perhaps the biggest story of the spring for the linebacker corps is less who is there and more about who isnt, namely notorious Luke Ferrelli who was supposed to be the guy to take Wade Woodazs place before Ole Miss bought him. Now Kobe McCloud becomes an essential piece as he brings the most experience and production next to Brown. Jeremiah Alexander was one of the three transfers brought in ahead of 2025 and provided 220 snaps largely as a run stop specialist. Alexander was not nearly as effective as a coverage option and his ability to improve in those areas are going to be a vital thing to how much he can increase his role. The pressure on that to happen grew with the loss of Ferrelli, whereas it would have been more of a luxury item otherwise. Alexander has drawn heavy praise for his work ethic so there is certainly hope he can make those gains. He also was a five-star coming out of high school and that speaks to possessing legit physical ability, albeit he has moved around position wise in his career to date.Backups Dee Crayton and Jamal Anderson, Jr. transferred out, so after McCloud and Alexander there are precious few snaps played among the other returning backups. In fact, Fletcher Cothran, Drew Woodaz, and C.J. Kubah-Taylor combined for 39 total non-special teams snaps last season. Most of that was from Cothran in the bowl game when Clemson was missing three players to injury and/or transfer.The good news about McCloud is he consistently grades well and is productive. The bad news is he cant help that he lacks elite measurables that would probably lead to more splash plays. That is where Ferrelli was supposed to provide a boost. Alexander projects more as an option for 4-3 Over fronts defensively that would feature a bigger SAM, but those are not used nearly as much against the 11 personnel group that is so often seen in modern college football. I expected Sammy Brown to have a very light load in the spring considering his value and that he is a proven commodity. However it appeared he got regular work and we saw him in the spring game (and heard Dabo chew him out for penalty over the PA system to boot). The group was healthy enough to get much needed work for all the others fighting for that open starting position and increased responsibilities behind Brown. Clemson signed Brayden Reilly but he is not among the early enrollees who will participate in spring practice.Coach Boulware gave me some hope in that he can get improvement and production out of his position group, but now he has to show what he can do with largely unproven players beyond star Sammy Brown. His former position coach Brent Venables was a master at getting strong play out of less than household names like Spencer Shuey, J.D. Davis, Kendall Joseph, and James Skalski. Now, Boulware has that challenge. It would also be a huge help if the other position groups can make improvements to support this second level because that increases the margin of error.The offense is probably going to garner the most spotlight considering the system change with Chad Morriss return, but Ill be closely watching how the linebacker position battle plays out and certainly will be keeping my fingers crossed for good health. Sammy Brown may be close to the very top for the player Clemson can least afford to lose this season. The depth chart entering the fall projects this way:MLB: Sammy Brown, Jeremiah AlexanderWILL: Kobe McCloud, (Sammy Brown should McCloud get hurt), Fletcher CothranLogan Anderson, Drew Woodaz, CJ Kubah-Taylor, and Brayden Reilly will be looking to crack the 2 deep behind those initial names. Tom Allens system rarely features a traditional SAM linebacker, choosing to instead employ a nickel corner/safety type for more of a 4-2-5 base defense. It is more likely he puts a safety like Polo Anderson out there before a linebacker if he goes away from one of the Corian Gipson, Tink Kelley, Donovan Starr trio that projects to get the most action there. I certainly think that contributed to the departure of Jamal Anderson, Jr. who was more like the old school SAM types Clemson had used in the past with the 4-3 defense. Clemson should field a better defense in terms of execution in year 2 of the Allen system coupled with an upgrade in personnel in the secondary. A lot will depend on the mostly unproven interior DL doing enough to keep Sammy Brown clean to be the difference maker he can be. Weve seen some elite linebacker play elevate a Clemson defense before and if the Tigers are truly going to take a significant step forward from last year, the stars of the team have to deliver like stars which simply didnt happen nearly enough in 2025. I fully expect to see Brown play both MLB and WLB depending on the situation, and he could easily hit 800 snaps or more as a result.

Confirmed: Real Madrid register two more new signings in La LigaReal Madrid have completed the registrations of Marc Cucurella and Ibrahima Konate for the upcoming La Liga season, making him the clubs second officially registered player ahead of the new campaign.The Spanish capital giants became the first La Liga club to register a new signing when Denzel Dumfries was officially added to the squad on 18 July. The Dutch full-back remains the clubs most recent completed transfer, with negotiations for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande still ongoing.Cucurella and Konate registeredCourtesy: La LigaCucurella, the left-back who recently won the FIFA World Cup with Spain, has now become the second of Real Madrids four summer signings to be registered.Real Madrid signed the 28-year-old defender from Chelsea in a deal worth 55 million fixed fee and another 5 million in potential add-ons.Following what was a quickly secured signing, Los Blancos have now managed to register him with La Liga, with a little under a month left before their season kicks off.Meanwhile, Konate joined the Spanish capital giants on a free transfer after letting his deal at Liverpool run down. The centre-back was part of the France team that finished fourth in the World Cup.Registered in La Liga. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)One more registration leftThat leaves only Bernardo Silva still awaiting official registration by the club. The Portuguese ace was signed as a free agent after his contract at Manchester City expired.None of the new signings have yet to join pre-season training under Jose Mourinho, although Bernardo is expected to report this week.Only two clubs register playersAt present, Real Madrid and Espanyol are the only La Liga clubs to have begun the player registration process for the new season.Five players have been officially registered in Spains top flight so far. Alongside Dumfries, Konate and Cucurella for Real Madrid, Cala and Quilindschy are the other two players whose registrations have been completed.

Bayern Munich's German internationals led by national team captain Joshua Kimmich started the pre-season on Monday with diagnostics together with other World Cup players.The players are then to join the squad of coach Vincent Kompany at a training camp in Bavaria which also started on Monday and precedes a trip to South Korea and Hong Kong from Saturday onwards.Kimmich, Manuel Neuer, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Jonathan Tah and Jonas Urbig rejoined the domestic double winners Bayern almost a month after Germany's last 32 exit against Paraguay at the World Cup.The Bild paper said that Japan's Hiroki Ito, Kim Minjae of South Korea, Canada captain Alphonso Davies and Senegal teenager Bara Ndiaye are also back from representing their countries.Midfielder Ndiaye, 18, is to receive a full contract after an initial loan from Gambinos Stars Africa and take the place of departed Leon Goretzka in the squad. Ndiaye has played four Bundesliga matches.Also at the camp in Rottach-Egern is Germany full back Nathaniel Brown who has joined Bayern from Eintracht Frankfurt for 50 million ($56.9 million).Konrad Laimer of Austria, Colombia's Luis Daz and Croatian Josip Stanisic are to join the team for the August 1-8 trip to Asia.England captain Harry Kane and France duo of Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano will return only after that trip, the trio having contested the World Cup third place match just over a week ago. So will Germany player Jamal Musiala who had metal plate removed from his ankle after the World Cup.Bayern start the season with the German Super Cup match against Borussia Dortmund on August 22 and their Bundesliga opener is six days later against VfB Stuttgart.

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