Clemson Basketball Provides Update About Zac Foster's Recovery

When watching Clemson basketball last November, fans couldn’t watch games without noticing a burst of energy off the bench: freshman Zac Foster.

The high-flying Atlanta guard only averaged 18.6 minutes per game for the Tigers in 2025-26, but he averaged 6.9 points, 2.5 assist and 2.8 rebounds, being a freshman that head coach Brad Brownell trusted with pushing the pace.

Unfortunately, while going up for a layup, he ended up tearing his ACL in December, only having his first season last 12 games. He would miss the remainder of the season and couldn’t have an impact in ACC play or the postseason.

However, in his first offseason availability since last season ended, Brownell was able to provide an update for his rising sophomore.

“He’s shooting. He’s jumping, he’s running in a straight line,” he said on Wednesday. “He’s got a brace and is starting to do more in terms of cutting and all the things that you need to do, but he’s progressing nicely.”

There’s a drawback in all of this, although it will still mean that Foster should be ready for the official season, beginning in November. Brownell doesn’t expect his guard to be ready to play for their trip to Italy at the end of July.

While only exhibition games are being played, his impact on the team next season is monumental to how Clemson gauges its playstyle.

“I was hoping that he was going to be able to play some in Italy, but I think, right now, maybe it looks like he won’t,” Brownell said. “I know we’re still over a month away from that.”

That’s been the issue with the Tigers this offseason: injuries. Clemson is without Foster, fellow guard Ace Buckner and center Carter Welling. It means that, while practicing, the program isn’t playing with arguably its three biggest pieces.

“I think the frustrating thing, a little bit, is just pretty much, this summer, we’re not going to be the team that we’re hopefully going to be when the season starts,” Brownell said.

“We will play faster when everybody’s healthy, and we’re at full steam.”

Brownell was also vocal about wanting to play faster last season with Foster on the court, strictly due to the bounce that he brings to the court when he’s playing. He wants to do that again with this team.

Even without his standout guard, he has some alternatives for the time being.

“I think Harris Reynolds can do that. I think Ace plays that way,” Brownell said. “I think our big guys, as long as we play multiple big guys, you can keep guys fresh to run.”

Although he did say that Foster’s treatment is “a little slower than we would like”, Brownell confirms that the guard should be back to full strength by the beginning of the regular season. So, expect more acrobatic finishes and excitement heading into Clemson’s backcourt at the end of 2026.

“No major setbacks, but he’s not like ahead of schedule or anything like that either,” he said.

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