3 Standout Observations from Clemson's Updated Depth Chart vs. Syracuse

After bouncing back with a 34-26 win over Florida State on Saturday, Clemson has now released its updated depth chart ahead of this weekend's matchup against Syracuse, which recently upset No. 19 SMU.

That said, here are three observations from the newly released depth chart that stood out to us here at Clemson Tigers on SI, and what they could mean going forward.

New Pair of Starting Offensive Linemen

Oct 3, 2026; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers offensive line coach Matt Luke talks with offensive lineman Grant Wise (64) and Chance Barclay (70) before the game against the Miami Hurricanes at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ashley Tumlin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This past weekend brought a lot of joy to Clemson fans, but it also came at a price.

In the contest, the Tigers saw multiple players go down, including starting left guard Elyjah Thurmon. The junior was stretchered off the field and taken to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital for further evaluation following a brutal head-to-head collision early in the second quarter.

On Sunday, Clemson Football announced that Thurmon had been discharged from the hospital and will be returning to Clemson.

OL Elyjah Thurmon has been discharged from the hospital and is returning to Clemson.

Thank you to the medical teams from both Clemson and Florida State for their care. Elyjah, his family and the broader Clemson family are grateful for everyone's prayers and support last night.
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) November 1, 2026

Head coach Dabo Swinney then gave an update on the situation during his weekly radio show on Monday, saying he's in concussion protocol, but has been "doing great."

"He's doing great," he said. "He was in my team meeting today. He took a real shot to the head. It wasn't an intentional thing or anything; it just was kind of in the pile, and a guy's flying in. You see it easily on tape. It was a lick. So, he's dealing with the concussion protocol. But it really shook him up. So, they took an abundance of precautions with him because of the extent of it."

Now, sophomore Gavin Blanchard will fill the void at left guard, and it isn't the first time he's had to this season. He's come in for small stints, including against Georgia Southern and Charleston Southern. But he's also played key snaps throughout the year, even starting against Miami due to an injury Thurmon suffered against Cal the week prior.

Across 224 total snaps this season, he's played well for someone who saw very little action in 2025, allowing six pressures, three hurries and two sacks, both of which came in his first two appearances.

The second starting offensive lineman who suffered an injury against the Seminoles is center Harris Sewell, who's been pretty elite in his first year at the position, allowing zero sacks and just six pressures across 546 snaps.

Sewell went down with an ankle injury in the contest, which forced true freshman Grant Wise to fill in for him. While the senior did come back in for victory formation on the final play of the game, he was in a walking boot afterward.

On Tuesday, Swinney announced that he'll have to undergo tightrope surgery and will likely be out until the Palmetto Bowl vs. South Carolina at the end of the month.

"Harris is gonna be out for probably a few games," he told the media. "They feel like we'll get him back for the South Carolina game, maybe Duke, but most likely they feel pretty confident about South Carolina, so we'll see."

Heading into this week's matchup with the Orange, Wise will get the start, and like Blanchard, he already has some experience this season. Over 111 snaps, the freshman has allowed six pressures, three hurries and three sacks.

Those numbers aren't especially promising on their own, but they're skewed by one game: two of the sacks, two of the hurries and four of the pressures came at right guard against a tough Miami defense. Outside of that outing, he's played well for a first-year, and he turned in one of his best games of the year in his lone time at center against Charleston Southern.

True freshman Chance Barclay, who's listed as the backup behind Wise, could also potentially see action.

Jarvis Green Takes Over as RB1

Clemson running back Jarvis Green (21) runs near Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Damon Wilson II (10) during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium Saturday, October 3, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In addition to trench injuries, the backfield will be without sophomore running back Gideon Davidson this weekend, who currently leads the Tigers in carries (105), rushing yards (528) and rushing touchdowns (5).

Swinney announced during his radio show on Monday that Davidson suffered a low-grade ankle sprain against the Seminoles. During his press conference the following day, he informed the media that he would not need surgery and would at least be out for this week's contest.

"No surgery. Just kind of a sprain in his ankle. Gid's kind of like Superman; hopefully he's a quick healer. So, he was busting his butt in that training room all day yesterday and last night," he stated. "He'll be out this week for sure, and then we'll go from there."

Senior Jarvis Green will now make the start in New York on Saturday after being the primary backup over the past few weeks and impressing in limited action. However, SMU transfer Chris Johnson Jr. and senior Jay Haynes will also likely see some touches.

Green has totaled 125 rushing yards on 32 carries through seven appearances this season.

Adjustments in the Linebacker Room

Oct 17, 2026; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Charleston Southern Buccaneers quarterback Caden Clay (11) is sacked in the backfield during the fourth quarter by Clemson Tigers linebacker C.J. Kubah-Taylor (26) at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ashley Tumlin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In addition to speaking about Thurmon's and Davidson's injuries on Monday, Swinney also shared that fifth-year linebacker Kobe McCloud will most likely be out the next few weeks due to an undisclosed injury he suffered this past weekend.

"Kobe McCloud's probably going to be out," he informed listeners. "He got banged up. He's probably going to be out for a couple of games."

Across 90 snaps this season, the backup weakside linebacker has totaled 14 tackles and a pass deflection. McCloud and C.J. Kubah-Taylor were previously listed as co-backups behind star linebacker Sammy Brown, but Kubah-Taylor has now moved up to the sole second-stringer.

The junior linebacker has played just about the same snaps as McCloud this year, but has impressed a bit more in the limited action, totaling 14 tackles, 1.5 for a loss and half a sack.

Clemson will put this new lineup to the test on Saturday, when the Tigers face off against the Orange inside the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York. Kickoff is set for Noon, with the game being broadcast on ESPN2.

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