Clemson Coach Predicts Tigers' Next 'Junkyard Dog'

The Clemson Tigers lost a whole lot of players to the NFL this past spring, and many of them were on the defensive side of the ball.

Peter Woods, T.J. Parker, Avieon Terrell, Wade Woodaz, DeMonte Capehart and Cade Denhoff are all gone, and while Clemson has plenty of talented defenders heading into 2026, it may lack some proven leadership on that side of the ball.

Defensive ends coach Chris Rumph is looking for some toughness in particular, and he isn't sure if the Tigers have any "junkyard dogs" right now.

“We have a lot of talented players, but we don’t have old junkyard dogs. Guys that will get out there and just grab somebody by the facemask and say, ‘Hey, we’re going to do it this way,'” Rumph said, via The Clemson Insider. “Our guys do it politically correct. Sometimes you need somebody to step in line and just challenge somebody and maybe dust up somebody.”

So, who could potentially fit that role for Clemson?

Well, Rumph has actually identified a transfer addition who could possibly be that guy for the Tigers: edge rusher London Merritt.

"He has jumped in, and he is just out there doing his thing. Playing hard. I was just surprised about how rugged he plays," Rumph said. "He throws his body around. He is not a finesse guy. He is a rugged guy. I like him. I like the way he’s come in. He is a mature kid. Been some place else, been outside of Clemson, so he knows how the world operates.”

Merritt spent his freshman campaign at Colorado, registering 25 tackles, eight tackles for loss and a eight sack last season.

Now, he is joining a Clemson front seven that could definitely use a boost after losing so many key pieces this offseason.

“I think he is still trying to learn the defense, just trying to learn his way around and get going, but I think he is a guy that could lay hands on somebody one day," Rumph added.

Linebacker Sammy Brown and defensive end Will Heldt are other players to watch in the trenches for the Tigers, and cornerback Ashton Hampton is a physical presence in the secondary

But clearly, Rumph is looking for a certain type of defender to fill one particular role, and he feels he has found that in Merritt.