Sean Hickey

Syracuse left tackle Sean Hickey called the Clemson defensive line the best unit he has seen in his career.

( Gary Walts | gwalts@syracuse.com )

Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse left tackle Sean Hickey knows exactly how great the challenge will be for his unit Saturday night in Death Valley.

Clemson's D-line led the nation in tackles for loss last season, returned everyone on its three-deep and is doing it again with a nation-high 66 TFLs. That level of depth and production should be the biggest cause for concern on the SU side heading into this week's matchup.

"That whole defensive line is the best D-line overall that this team has seen in five years," Hickey said. "Easily. No one comes close."

The headliner of the group is Vic Beasley — who, like Hickey, passed up a chance to enter the NFL Draft earlier this year — the best pass rusher in the ACC who is fourth in the country with eight sacks.

I'll go into more detail later in the week on the Hickey-Beasley matchup that will certainly pique the interest of several NFL evaluators, but Clemson is far more than a one-man wrecking crew.

Shaq Lawson, Tavaris Barnes and Corey Crawford all can pressure the quarterback and make it difficult to get outside. And the interior is just as good with Grady Jarrett, DeShawn Williams, DJ Reader and Josh Watson.

Clemson also deploys a pair of veteran linebackers in middle Stephone Anthony, who racked up 131 tackles last year and has a team-best 43 with 7.5 TFLs in seven games this year, and Tony Steward.

"In terms of a front four and even a front seven because they have really good linebackers, they're the best that this program has seen since I've been there," Hickey said.

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