Andrew Booth Jr., James Skalski among Clemson defensive players placed on All-ACC first team
Clemson, which led the Atlantic Coast Conference and ranked second nationally in scoring defense, placed four defensive players on the All-ACC first team on Tuesday.
The Tigers’ first-team selections included linebacker James Skalski, defensive tackle Tyler Davis and cornerbacks Andrew Booth Jr. and Mario Goodrich.
It marked the first time that Clemson had as many as four first-team defensive picks since 2016.
More: Clemson lands in final three for elite 2022 running back Trevor Etienne
Clemson’s defense ranked in the Top 10 in the country in six categories: red zone defense (second), sacks (fifth), pass efficiency defense (sixth), rushing defense (ninth), total defense (ninth) and tackles for loss (10th).
"Every day you step on the field you should have want-to," Goodrich said Tuesday during a Zoom appearance on the Packer and Durham Show on the ACC Network. "Our defense likes to bring the edge to practices."
Tuesday’s selections also marked the first time since 2014 that Clemson had no first-team selections on offense. That should come as no surprise considering the team's youth, the rash of injuries sustained this season and the fact that the Tigers started only one senior on offense in the last two games of the regular season.
Offensive tackle Jordan McFadden was named to the second team, as were defensive end Myles Murphy and placekicker B.T. Potter.
More: Without ACC title game, Clemson football coaches get rare early jump on recruiting
Clemson’s third-team selections included three more defensive standouts – defensive end Xavier Thomas, tackle Bryan Bresee and safety Andrew Mukuba, giving the Tigers a total of 10 All-ACC picks.
Pitt, the Coastal Division champion, led all teams with 12 total picks, followed by Clemson. Atlantic Division champion Wake Forest had eight selections as did N.C. State and Boston College.
Skalski led the Tigers with 97 tackles and 14 quarterback pressures while Murphy had a team-best 13 tackles for loss, which included seven sacks.
Mukuba, a freshman, led all Clemson defensive backs with 52 tackles and nine pass breakups while Booth had 37 stops and a team-high three interceptions.
Clemson has had double-digit All-ACC picks for each of the last seven years.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Four Clemson defensive players named to All-ACC first-team
