Former Daniel High Standout Finds Fit on Clemson Defense

When Clemson redshirt sophomore Misun “Tink” Kelley trotted onto the field for his first career start at the nickel/Tiger position against LSU, it wasn’t just another step in his football journey. It was a dream realized.

Kelley, a Central, S.C., native and two-way player at Daniel High School, grew up watching the Tigers under the lights in Death Valley. Now, he’s wearing orange with a few former prep teammates, including Trent Pearman, Clay Swinney, son of head coach Dabo Swinney, and his cousin Jahiem Lawson. 

“It means a lot. It’s like a dream come true,” Kelley said. “I used to watch D-Hop [DeAndre Hopkins], Sammy Watkins, all of them. It was really motivating to be able to accomplish some things that they did, kind of like watching what they do to get in their footsteps.”

That dream nearly took a different turn. Kelley originally committed to Virginia Tech as a cornerback before flipping to Clemson, where he signed as an athlete. He worked primarily at wide receiver for his first two years and took all of his game day snaps there until defensive coordinator Tom Allen and staff moved him to the nickel/Tiger position this spring. 

Kelley admitted that, like many freshmen, he originally wanted to play on offense and saw himself as a receiver. But as he matured, though, his perspective shifted, and the move made him realize how much he enjoyed the position.

“I made a couple of plays this spring. It really felt natural to me,” he said. “I felt more at peace with it, too.”

So what draws him to defense after years of catching passes?

“I like stopping the wide receiver, getting in his head,” Kelley explained. “Receiver, it’s go be a dog, but at DB you’ve got to have more of a vicious intent to it. So I really like that about it.”

His intensity hasn’t gone unnoticed, and additionally, he brought the dog to the secondary. 

“Tink is a dog,” All-American cornerback candidate Avieon Terrell stated this fall when asked about the 5-foot-9, 185-pounder's move to defense. “He’s a dog, and I like it because you don’t have to tell him to do too much. He came over from [receiver], and he just wants to learn every day. I heard him yesterday, and he just wants to go watch film after our late practice. Tink just wants it.”

Despite his progress, Kelley’s start against LSU came as a surprise to those outside the program, especially since junior Shelton Lewis had prior experience at nickel and corner. But Kelley’s understanding of offensive tendencies, honed from his time at slot receiver, gave him an edge.

“It’s a lot of open space. So, it’s a lot of ground to cover, and I feel like that’s something I’m really good at,” Kelley said. “I think one of my best abilities is being in open space. And then at the same time, I played slot wide receiver. So I kind of know how they split in the line and what they want. How guys really gonna attack me with different routes.”

Through two games, Kelley has recorded four tackles, settling into his new role and new jersey No. 25 (switched from No. 18). His third start will come on the road this Saturday against Georgia Tech, his first taste of an ACC atmosphere away from home.