Following T.J. Dudley's OnlyF*ns episode, Coach Goodwin discusses Clemson football's LB depth: "The guys need to rise to the challenge"

T.J. Dudley's eventual exit from Clemson may have opened a window of opportunity for the school's freshmen linebackers. Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach of the Tigers, Wes Goodwin, chooses to see the silver lining in Dudley's departure. He believes it is a chance for freshmen Jamal Anderson and Dee Crayton to step up.

There have been concerns about the effect of Dudley's departure on the linebackers' depth at Clemson. During the Clemson Freshmen NIL event, a journalist raised this question while speaking with Goodwin.

Being the coach directly responsible for the position and the Tigers' entire defense, Goodwin was in the best position to address the issue.

“Jamal and Dee, obviously, they came in January, which helped them. They're super excited to see where they're at after the summer in our program and stuff. You know they're going to have the opportunity to contribute someway somehow this year,” Goodwin said.

Asked how he thinks the team might need to readjust to the absence of T.J. Dudley, he said:

“I don't think anything. Just the guys need to rise to the challenge. All those guys will be counted on this year. So now is their time to take advantage of the opportunity.”

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Why did T.J. Dudley leave Clemson?

T.J. Dudley was dismissed from the Clemson Tigers football team after he was found running an OnlyFans page where he posted unauthorized photos of his former teammates.

Commenting on Dudley's exit at the ACC Media Days, head coach Dabo Swinney said:

“It’s a disappointing situation because he’s a good kid and a man. He had a chance to be a great player for us this year. So that definitely hurts us. It’s unfortunate. But we’ve got rules, and sometimes it’s just best to get a fresh start. So wish him well.”

Following his dismissal from Clemson, Dudley entered the transfer portal on July 19 and recently announced his commitment to the Ole Miss Rebels under coach Lane Kiffin.

T.J. Dudley committed to play for Clemson University as a four-star prospect and featured in four games for the Tigers as a freshman in 2022, recording one tackle. He was ranked 32nd in the 2022 class and 13th in the state of Alabama.

Ole Miss' new defensive coordinator, Pete Golding, was instrumental to T.J. Dudley's commitment to the Rebels. With four more years of eligibility, Dudley has an entire college career ahead of him at Mississippi.