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Rex Brown

Clemson's DeAndre McDaniel (2) celebrates with teammates after he intercepted a pass thrown by Miami's Jacory Harris (12) and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown during the Tigers' win on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla.

CLEMSON — If he has a single moment to spare, odds are DeAndre McDaniel is somewhere analyzing film, an activity that walks a fine line between pastime and obsession for the Clemson safety.

“I probably get in like an extra two hours more than everybody else,” McDaniel said of his daily intake.

With just one class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, McDaniel often sets up shop at the team’s facilities in the West end zone to break down film when he isn’t in meetings or getting ready for practice. And on Wednesdays, Clemson’s staff provides McDaniel, and the rest of the Tigers, with more film to dissect on their own time at their leisure, which he does with unbridled pleasure.

Ask McDaniel, and his dedication to studying the game is what sets him apart, as he is perhaps the most feared defender in the ACC, as he is tied for the national lead with seven interceptions, while he’s more than capable of delivering a bone-crushing hit on any given down.

“I'm pretty good at looking at film, so I know pretty much all the routes that they run and out of what formation, so I just try to keep studying that hard and they keep throwing my way and I keep coming down with them,” McDaniel said.

Add to the equation McDaniel possess top-flight instincts, a fact not lost on him, and the Tigers’ have an almost unstoppable weapon anchoring their secondary.

“I think that's one of my positives and I think I'm pretty good at reading the quarterback and real good at play recognition,” McDaniel said.

These are all things Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has known for a while now, though he wasn’t quick to gush about McDaniel leading into the season, as he was moving back to his natural safety position after playing exclusively, and out of position, at linebacker.

Coupled with the fact the secondary was supposed to be depleted with the loss of Chris Clemons and Michael Hamlin to the NFL, the expectations weren’t particularly high at the safety position.

But Swinney knew better.

“He’s just a great player,” Swinney said. “I was afraid to say it to (the media) — I said it to the staff last spring — but I maybe hinted at it a couple times, you know you’ve got two safeties that are drafted in the NFL and then you turn around and you say, ‘You know what, we may be better at safety this year than we were last year.’ People kind of look at you like you’re crazy.”

With the benefit of hindsight, Swinney could be mistaken for Nostradamus, particularly after McDaniel picked off a pair of passes in the Tigers’ 40-37 overtime win at No. 8 Miami last week, while he reached 52 tackles on the season, which is tied for the team lead with Marcus Gilchrist, further heightening his reputation.

“I’ve seen him on the field and know what he’s capable of, and safety’s his natural position — he’s a big-time hitter; and when he gets his hands on the ball, he catches it,” Swinney said.

For his most recent effort, McDaniel was named the National Defensive Back of the Week by the College Performance Awards, while he earned the same honor from the ACC.

And while the gaudy statistics and honors are nice for McDaniel, he’s taking it all in stride with a humble approach, as he’s not in it all for himself.

“I'm enjoying it, but we still have a team goal I want to achieve,” McDaniel said. “Winning the ACC is my biggest goal right now. What I'm doing right now is just helping the team. I'm doing my job, so I hope it leads us to getting where we need to be.”

Should McDaniel keep up the pace in his film studies, he could very well help the land the Tigers a date in Tampa, and even Miami.