Experience, knowledge key for Mike Jones Jr.

With his redshirt freshman year behind him and seemingly being poised to take on a larger role on the Clemson Tigers defense, sophomore linebacker Mike Jones Jr. used one word to describe fall camp this year — “experience.”

Jones, who accounted for three tackles in limited play in 2018, could be the No. 2 strongside linebacker behind junior Isaiah Simmons in the upcoming season.

“This is a good experience,” Jones said about camp this week. “We learned a lot. Guys had to experience some new positions. We had to experience with injuries — not injuries but little (nicks) and bruises — so that just made the whole group experience as a whole jump up. We've got a lot of new guys. We lost some great vets last year, and so we've got a lot of experience, and we've got a lot of knowledge in to how to play during the season.”

Jones, like much of the rest of the team, seems to have adopted head coach Dabo Swinney’s philosophy of starting over in 2019 and not putting too much stock in last year’s successes or current preseason polls.

For the first time in school history, the Tigers were named the No. 1 team in the nation ahead of the regular season. Swinney has balked at the rankings.

“It just doesn't matter,” he said earlier this week about the poll. “I mean it just is a distraction for people to ask me questions about it because it just doesn't matter. Unless they bring us a trophy and tear the concrete out over there and put the preseason champs over there. I don't think we're going to do that. ... It creates conversation that's unnecessary. It's just not worth the paper it's printed on."

For his part, Jones was staying grounded and echoed Swinney’s sentiments about remaining focused on the upcoming season and the current crop of players.

“We’re only as good as we are every single week,” Jones said. “Coach Swinney always said those guys last year got a 15-game winning streak. We haven't won nothing. I feel like that's an approach we need to take into each week because if not you get complacent.”

Jones has attempted to avoid distractions and stay focused on the information and techniques he needs to succeed on the field under the tutelage of Swinney and defensive coordinator Brent Venables.

"That freshman year was pretty tough especially with V. (Venables),” Jones said about last season. “He expects you to not fall behind anywhere and just getting the chance to redshirt and just stay in the defense to just submerge myself into loving learning. That’s really made a difference. I'm a lot, a lot farther mentally than I was last year."

He said that in order to improve for his sophomore year, he had to make a conscious decision to become a student of the game and study as if he’s taking an exam on the field.

“It’s a lot of stuff, and it all comes fast,” Jones said. “It’s only as difficult as you make it. When you're a freshman, you're kind of like 'Woah' like about everything, but once you realize I've got to put a lot of extra time into this, it’s more than just being out here in practicing on the field. You have to choose. Just like people study for a test, I have to take a test every day on the field. I have to choose to study a little bit more, and that's really the main thing.”