Safety Khalil Barnes Relays Honest Message About Clemson’s Struggles

After missing time with a hamstring injury suffered in Clemson's 17-10 season-opening loss to LSU, starting safety Khalil Barnes finally returned to the field last weekend in anticipation of leading a redemption arc by the Tigers after starting 1-2.

But what could have been a feel-good moment for the Tigers' secondary quickly turned into a trainwreck, as the defense was gashed for 435 yards, with 303 coming in the first half, losing to Syracuse, 34-21.

"We had them wrapped up in the backfield, and then we just did not make the play. That's a 32-yard gain right there," Barnes said about the opening drive. "Plays like that hurt in the game, and when you come back and watch it, you see it's not scheme, it's not players being better than players. It's us not doing our thing, making you want to hone in on the fundamentals and technique."

"For me personally, with the play, where Will Heldt got the sack. On that play, it was just formation tendencies. I knew Bang Eight was coming to the field, and I'm middle read. But basically I'm trying to do someone else's job," he continued. "I just think that's kind of what happened last Saturday. We get so hungry on defense, because everybody wants to go out there and make a play."

Clemson's defensive lapses have drawn plenty of outside criticism, with some wondering if new wrinkles in the scheme or adjustments from the coaching staff are to blame for the early struggles. 

But inside the locker room, the message has been consistent: the issues aren't about effort or being outcoached; it comes down to execution at the end of the day.

"I don't think it is that. We had the whole spring ball to learn [the scheme], had the whole fall camp, [and] most of that summer," the veteran safety emphasized. "So, we know it well enough that it's not a knowledge thing. It's simply executing it, getting back to fundamentals. The bye week came at a good time. If you really sit back and reflect on these last four games, it hasn't been things that we're getting outschemed or outcoached, and we're not in the position to win. We just simply got to execute."

The Tigers' bye week arrives with the team desperate for a reset, setting the stage for their Week 6 matchup at North Carolina. 

But for a Clemson team that entered the season with championship expectations, the 1-3 start has been especially tough, knowing the Tigers had multiple guys who chose to return instead of heading to the NFL. 

Barnes clarified that despite the rough start, the team's motivation goes beyond wins and losses. For him and his teammates, the record doesn't define their purpose; it's about why and who they play for.

"Obviously, it's frustrating and it sucks because you got guys like Antonio, Cade, and DeMonte who could've gone to the [NFL Draft] but came back and wanted to make the most of it. And we messed it up ourselves," he said. "But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter if we lost 12 in a row; we're not playing for a record. I'm personally playing for my parents not to feel like they have to put a hood on and cover their backs up when they walk out of the stands."

Head coach Dabo Swinney voiced a similar sentiment in a vital team meeting on Monday, according to Barnes.

"Coach Swinney just put his heart out. The thing I respect most about him is that in that situation, he could have come in there and put up all the bad plays of the first four games and said, 'We gotta get this fixed,'" he praised. "We didn't talk about football at all. He came in there, and the first thing he told us was scripture. When things get tough, he's the same person y'all see on TV. It's not an act. His foundation is his faith."

I think more than anything, it wasn't frustration; it was just kind of his emotions and letting us know he's sorry. At the end of the day, he's our coach. Yes, he has to technically take the blame, but it's not him. They put us in the right spots, and we just generally got to go do it."