I signed up to write about the defensive ends and defensive tackles because I’m not sure I’ve ever been more ready for a turnover of personnel than I was for Clemson’s 2025 defensive line to no longer be a thing. It feels weird to say that about a defensive line featuring T.J. Parker and Peter Woods, but the truth of the matter is that both had completely forgettable 2025s. I appreciate the fact that Parker saved three of his five sacks for South Carolina, but I can’t remember a single play he made
outside of that game. I’m sure there were a few, but they were so few and far apart that they disappeared from my memory. I’ll talk about Woods in the upcoming defensive tackles article, but he’s another unquestionably talented player who was persona non grata last season. It’s not that Clemson’s defensive line was bad; it’s that they weren’t good. If the Tigers have aspirations of returning to the upper echelon of the ACC, they’ll need the 2026 line to be significantly better, with, on paper, less talent than they had in 2025.
I actually think that’s possible.
Talent wasn’t the issue in 2025; Parker and Woods were both top-20 talents that dropped in the draft because they didn’t produce, and on several occasions, completely disappeared. This issue isn’t isolated to just Parker and Woods; it seems like the Tigers have had a string of extremely talented players who have had solid, but at the end of the day, unremarkable careers, but I digress.
I’m here to talk about the 2026 defensive ends, and friends, hope springs eternal. This group has talent, but as I said, talent hasn’t been the problem. What I hope they have is a hunger to be great on every play. That’s what I haven’t seen from Clemson lately. A consistency of effort that treats 1st and 10 with the same urgency as a 3rd and long. A group that, first and foremost, does its job on every play, whether it’s rushing the quarterback, setting the edge on an outside run, or holding the running back to a 2-yard gain instead of a stumbling forward another 3 yards through an arm tackle. Maybe last season was the 5-alarm wake-up call this group needed to return to the standard we’ve all come to expect from the Tigers.
Defensive Ends
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Thoughts
If anyone should be coming into 2026 with a chip on their shoulder, it’s Will Heldt. For those of you who don’t know, I also manage and write for the Purdue SB Nation site; I remember writing an article about the lanky Purdue commit from Carmel High School in 2022. While last season was well below Clemson’s standards, it was the first winning season in Heldt’s career. He was the most productive defensive end on the roster last season because he already knew what losing felt like. Dabo loves the word entitlement, and I know for certain Will doesn’t feel entitled to anything. He played on one of the worst Purdue teams I’ve ever seen in 2024, and folks, I’ve seen some truly putrid Purdue football over my 45 years on this planet. Last season, he played on the worst Clemson team since the 2010 debacle that almost cost Dabo his job before he got started. He has the ability to help rewrite his college football narrative in 2o26.
Heldt comes into the 2026 season with sky-high expectations after putting up 46 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks last season. The preseason first-team All-ACC selection plays a good bit like Clemson legend Clelin Ferrell. He has long arms and uses them to keep blockers off his body and away from his legs in both run defense and the pass rush. He’s a good, but not elite, athlete, but makes up for any athletic shortcomings with his tenacity. Some defensive linemen want to get to the ball, but Heldt needs to get to the ball, and he needs to get to the ball on every play. While that’s what I want from a defensive end, I hope that he’s continued to improve his play recognition this season. My main criticism while he was at Purdue was that when offensive coordinators got tired of blocking him, they’d have him block himself by optioning off him in the zone read game. He’d usually make a tackle on the play, but not always on the ball carrier. He was better last season but still got caught ball-watching a few times and lost contain. I’d rather a player make a mistake going 100 miles an hour than play at 70%, but this season I’d like to see Heldt play at 100 miles an hour and not make mistakes. It’s a big ask, but I think he’s up to the challenge.
Behind Heldt at strong-side defensive end is Darien Mayo. At 6’7”, 270, Mayo is similar in build to Heldt but hasn’t done anything of note in his first two seasons of college football. It’s starting to feel like it’s now or never for Mayo, in terms of cracking the depth chart. Clemson needs a solid rotation at defensive end to keep the closers fresh down the stretch, but at the same time, the Tigers can’t lose the game in the 2nd and 3rd quarter while their starters are on the bench. Mayo could put down a marker for the starting job in 2027 (if Heldt plays well enough to declare for the draft) with a solid performance as Heldt’s backup in 2026.
The Tigers are set at strong-side defensive end, but they need to find speed off the weak side to complement Heldt’s size and strength. There are plenty of options on the roster, but no one who stands out as the next great Clemson pass rusher. I don’t mind that. I’m tired of the hype and am excited to see a battle in fall camp for the right to start opposite Will Heldt.
5th-year player Jahiem Lawson will get the first crack at the starting job in camp and expect him to be on field for the first defensive snaps against LSU. The unheralded recruit out of Daniel High School was known as “Shaq’s little brother” at the start of his Clemson career but has scratched and clawed his way up the depth chart over the last four seasons. At a built-up 6’2”, 250, he’s not the biggest defensive end, but he’s going to put everything he has into each play. Jahiem has earned every snap he’s ever received at Clemson with his work ethic and intensity, not his reputation. He put up 24 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and 3 pass breakups last season as a primary reserve.
You could tell when Jahiem was in the game because there was a noticeable uptick in intensity. He moved inside in some pass rush packages because he could be counted on to bring the intensity and attitude the Tigers have been sadly lacking the last few seasons. Heldt should lead the defensive ends in snaps, but Lawson has the opportunity to lock up the second spot in the rotation and be one of the players on the field when the game is on the line.
While I have Jahiem penciled in to start, the Tigers hit the portal to bring in some top-level competition at edge rusher. Colorado transfer London Merritt has a chance to do what Will Heldt did last season and take a starting spot in camp. Recruiting evaluations were all over the place with Merritt, but for what it’s worth, Rivals considered the IMG Academy product (by way of Woodward Academy in Atlanta) the 6th best defensive end in the 2025 class. He hit the ground running for the Buffalos, playing in 12 games and earning a start as a true freshman. He put up 25 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, and a sack on his way to being named to the All-Freshman Team by Pro Football Focus. He’s more of a power edge rusher than a speed rusher off the edge, and I think that’s reflected in his Colorado stats. He only got to the quarterback once, but, at times, was unblockable in the run game. Merritt has all the physical skills necessary to rush the passer; if he shows improvement in that area, he could push Lawson out of the starting spot and into more of a 3rd-down pass rush specialist role. I feel confident in saying, at worst, Merritt will be a major part of the defensive end rotation.
Merritt was the big name from the portal, but he wasn’t the only transfer Clemson welcomed at defensive end. CJ Wesley, a 5th-year player out of Howard, was also brought into the fold. He brings experienced depth to the position and is coming off the best season, putting up 33 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 11 starts for the Bison last season. He was considered a mid-3* transfer, but also had some interest from Texas Tech and Auburn as a one-year pass rush rental. I’ve got Heldt, Lawson, and Merritt as the top 3-defensive ends, but Clemson is going to play 4 guys regularly and might work in a 5th. Wesley has a year to show the world (and the NFL) what he can do at P4 team. He’s going to push hard in camp to earn his spot. Urgency is one heck of a motivator.
Last but not least, former consensus 4* prospect Ari Watford is heading into his second season in the program and needs to find his way onto the field after taking a (now-defunct) redshirt as a true freshman. At one point, Watford was considered the #1 overall edge rusher in the 2025 class, but didn’t develop as a pass rusher, putting up 52 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks as a senior. I thought Clemson might bulk him up and play him on the strong side, but he’s listed at 6’5”, 240 pounds. That’s right around where the recruiting services had him as a high school senior. That looks more like a weak-side edge rusher than a strong-side defensive end to me. There’s a reason why the recruiting services loved him early in their evaluation; his raw talent and physical traits are elite. Hopefully a year of development helps bring that talent and physical ability to the forefront. He’ll battle it out with Mayo and Wesley for a spot in the rotation.
I don’t see either of the class of 2026 recruits (Michael Foster & J.R. Hardrick) cracking the rotation in their first season of college football, but you can ask my wife; I’m confidently wrong a good bit.
In Conclusion
If Will Heldt is healthy, he’s going to start and needs to be a dominant force for the Tigers on the strong side. Derien Mayo and Ari Watford should provide solid depth behind Heldt. My question is the weak-side defensive end spot.
If Will Heldt is similar to Clelin Ferrell, who is going to step up and be Austin Bryant?
Lawson has the experience and brings the entire defense’s intensity up when he’s on the field.
London Merritt was a freshman All-American at Colorado.
CJ Wesley has one year to prove what he can do at the P4 level after a productive career at Howard.
Watford has the raw physical talent.
My guess is that Lawson and Merritt battle for the starting job in camp, but both will log substantial snaps. The fourth spot in the rotation goes to whoever backs up Heldt; my somewhat educated guess is that Mayo ends up here, but Watford could also make a push in camp and change things. That leaves a potential 5th spot in the rotation up for grabs in fall camp.
Regardless of who is on the field, I expect more consistency and tenacity from the defensive end position in 2026.
