Bryan

Bresee

Bresee (6'5/300) has been among Clemson’s brightest shining players in the midst of what’s been a bit of a down period for the Tigers. The team should be optimistic about what he can do for them up front on the interior, something he’s already shown as he recorded a PFF pass rush grade of 81.2, 26 quarterback pressures and four sacks. PFF’s Connor Rogers currently has him pinned as the No. 3 interior defensive lineman in the country, while the network’s Trevor Sikkema has him even higher at No. 2, behind only Jalen Carter of Georgia.

Bresee (6'5/300) has been impressive in his own right despite some recent lackluster play from Clemson, which is why he’s garnered deserved recognition. Though he’s been set back by injury, his talent has still shown up on tape. Bresee was a 2021 All-ACC selection in the preseason, posting three tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks in four games before he was sidelined last season. In 2020, Bresee had a PFF.com pass rush grade of 81.2 when he recorded 26 quarterback pressures and four sacks. He currently sits at No. 6 on Mike Renner of PFF’s Big Board, behind fellow Clemson Tiger Myles Murphy and ahead of LSU’s Kayshon Boutte.

Bresee (6'5/300) suffered a torn ACL in late September in Clemson’s 27-21 loss to NC State. Bresee’s injury wound up just being the beginning of what was an incredibly underwhelming season for the Tigers in 2021, but he appears to be on the come up this offseason. Bresee reportedly posted a video to his Twitter account of him in a leg brace, sprinting from cone-to-cone. Bresee was a 2021 All-ACC selection in the preseason, and had three tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks in four games played before going down last season. In 2020, Bresee had a PFF.com pass rush grade of 81.2 when he recorded 26 quarterback pressures and four sacks.

Bresee (6'5/290) suffered the injury in the second half of Saturday’s 27-21 loss to NC State. This is devastating for Clemson on multiple fronts. Firstly, Bresee is one of the nation’s singularly best defensive talents. Secondly, Clemson is already without fellow starting DT Tyler Davis for the next two months with a bicep injury. The 2-2 Tigers are going to have serious interior depth issues until Davis’ return.

Bresee (6'5/290) arrived on campus considered by some recruiting analysts to be the top player in the Class of 2020, so it should come as no surprise that he’s listed so high on Clemson’s first depth chart of the season. And according to 247Sports’ Barton Simmons, the freshman defensive tackle has been “even better than advertised” in the eyes of the coaching staff. Another Clemson freshman defensive lineman to watch is DE Myles Murphy, who is listed second on the depth chart. Neither should lack for reps in Saturday’s opener.

Bresee (6'5/290) isn’t listed atop Clemson’s depth chart at defensive tackle, but the feeling is that he will compete for starting snaps. And it’s possible that the highly regarded freshman could be used at both tackle and end once the season begins. Bresee’s improvement with regard to the fundamentals hasn’t gone unnoticed, either. “He’s as advertised,” DC Brent Venables said after Saturday’s scrimmage. “He’s really made some improvement with his fundamentals from the spring. So he’s doing a lot of little things very well right now.”

Bresee, along with LSU TE Arik Gilbert, is viewed as the prized jewel of the 2020 recruiting class. Considering Clemson’s reputation for producing NFL defensive linemen and edge defenders, it is no wonder Bresee (6'5/290) ended up there. One Big Ten director of player personnel claims Bresee “moves like a defensive end at a defensive tackle’s size,” which is a terrifying nod to Bresee’s potential versatility when paired with a mastermind DC in Brent Venables. Clemson’s defensive line runs deep as is, but Bresee looks talented enough to crack the rotation in his first year on campus.

Bresee (6'5/290) is considering a wide range of programs, with Maryland, Florida State and the above mentioned Nittany Lions all drawing trips from the star-to-be defensive end in recent days. He ranks as Rivals’ No. 3 overall prospect in the 2020 class, while the Worldwide Leader shows him even more love -- the most love -- placing him atop the Junior 300 last week.

Bresee (6'5/230) will be attending the Ohio State vs. Penn State game, and this will make his second-straight Buckeyes’ game, as he visited Ohio State last weekend. Considered by most outlets to be the top prospect in the 2020 class, Bresee also is expected to visit programs like Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma before the end of the fall, but the Nittany Lions were one of the first schools on the edge-rusher, and have a strong chance of landing his services.

Bresee takes the top spot, and he’s followed by RB Zachary Evans, WR Julian Fleming and DE Sav’ell Smalls. Bresee (6'5/290) got rave reviews this summer, dominating even against older competition. He has offers from your usual list of big players, but he’s taken unofficial visits to Penn State and Georgia. There’s no timetable for when he’ll commit at this point.