Clemson’s defense was one of the country’s best this season due in large part to its dominant front seven. However, the Tigers will be without two of their starters in the front seven in this month’s Orange Bowl matchup against Tennessee.
Defensive lineman Myles Murphy is opting out of the bowl game and declaring for the NFL Draft while linebacker Trenton Simpson suffered an injury during the the ACC Championship game and won’t be available in the Orange Bowl.
Simpson finished second on the Tigers with 73 tackles this season to go along with 2.5 sacks, three pass deflections and two forced fumbles on the year.
Murphy is a projected first round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft after three seasons at Clemson where he totaled 17.5 sacks. This season, Murphy tied for a team-high 6.5 sacks in addition to 40 tackles and two pass deflections.
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Clemson ranks 17th nationally in scoring defense and 10th in rushing defense this season in part due to Murphy and Simpson’s play.
The Tigers’ defense did struggle in losses against out of conference foes Notre Dame and South Carolina. The Fighting Irish totaled 35 points in the upset victory while South Carolina scored 31 points.
Tennessee isn’t without opt outs in the game either. Receiver Cedric Tillman won’t play against the Tigers as he prepares for the NFL Draft while Darnell Wright has yet to announce whether he intends to play in the Orange Bowl or not.
Tennessee and Clemson face off in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Kick off is at 8 p.m. ET with ESPN broadcasting the game.
