Clemson Tigers Converted WR Feels 'At Peace' in New Position

A handful of Clemson Tigers players spoke to the media this past Tuesday following their 27-16 win over Troy last weekend.

Misun ‘Tink’ Kelley was one of the athletes who spoke, giving us an update on how he’s enjoying playing his new role at defensive back, and giving outsiders an insight into his mindset while playing.

“It feels more natural,” Kelley said. “I like stopping the wide receiver and really getting in their head. [I] have a different kind of mindset this year, I feel like receivers [are] dogs but defensive backs have more of a vicious intent to it, so I really like that about it.”

Entering Clemson, Kelley was recruited as a two-way player out of Daniel High School. While he was open to playing defense, his heart swayed to playing wideout after posting 1,332 yards and 16 touchdowns in high school.

“Yeah, [I wanted to play WR]. I feel like when you’re younger, coming in as a freshman, you obviously want to play offense a little more,” he stated. “But I guess I got a little older and I started liking [playing] defensive back a little bit more, so I started watching highlight tapes of the defensive backs in the league and I felt [that] I liked it more.”

However, after spending two years at the position for the Tigers, he and head coach Dabo Swinney knew it was time for a change and switched him to cornerback. They quickly knew it was the right spot for him to be.

“[I knew in] spring,” he expressed. “I made a couple plays and [the position] really felt natural to me. I was more at peace with it, too.”

After the switch, Kelley realized his years as a wideout gave him a unique edge on defense. Having spent so much time studying and running routes, he could anticipate what opponents were trying to do pre-snap.

“Based on the alignment, I know what the [receivers] want when they line up… Knowing the down and distance, I know when they want to take a shot, I know when they want to run the ball,” he explained. “I know many receivers have a lot of tendencies, so I know when they’re going to run a route that their offense is looking at.”

That understanding of route concepts and offensive tendencies didn’t just make him more comfortable at corner; it also prepared him to excel in Clemson’s versatile TIGER position. The position is a hybrid role on Clemson’s defense, primarily a safety/nickelback that can also function like a linebacker, depending on the offensive scheme. 

“It’s a lot of open space, so it’s a lot of ground to cover. I feel like that’s something I’m really good at doing, one of my best abilities is being in open space,” Kelley said. “Then at the same time, I played slot receiver, it’s not like I played corner, so I kind of know based on their split and alignment what they want and how they’re going to attack me with different routes.”