Clemson Tigers RB is 'Doing Great' with ACL Recovery

The Clemson Tigers' ground game stalled in their season-opener against LSU this weekend, and fans clearly felt Jay Haynes' absence. Still rehabbing from a late-season ACL tear in 2024, Haynes hasn't been able to step onto the field, leaving Clemson to muddle through a struggling rush attack.

Saturday's performance made it clear how vital the redshirt sophomore could be once healthy. Luckily, he seems to be progressing well in his rehabilitation despite a minor quad injury setback.

"He's progressing. He had a little setback with a quad strain, but he's doing great with his knee," head coach Dabo Swinney said in media availability. "But you know he strained his quad a little bit doing sprint work and that kind of set him back a couple of weeks, so we'll get him back at some point."

Haynes was a three-star recruit out of Handley High School in Alabama, according to 247Sports, going relatively unnoticed in the 2022 class with only three other Power-4 offers aside from Clemson.

But Swinney and C.J. Spiller must've seen something others weren't, as the 5-foot-11 back had run for 2,669 yards and 37 touchdowns in 24 games at Handley, averaging over 10 yards per carry, according to the Greenville (S.C.) News.

Despite the strong recruiting profile, Haynes was a potential diamond in the rough. While he hadn't even taken a snap at Clemson yet, his high school production hinted at the kind of speed and vision Swinney was looking for at the position.

As a freshman in 2023, the young back was buried by depth in a position room loaded with talent, including future NFL backs Will Shipley and Phil Mafah, Domonique Thomas, who transferred to Ole Miss in 2024, and Keith Adams Jr., who emerged as Clemson's RB3 as of this past Saturday. These factors limited Haynes to just three games all season.

However, Haynes' work ethic would show the following season as he took over the primary backup role behind Mafah. He performed solidly through his first 13 weeks in the role, putting up 151 yards on 31 carries.

His breakout game would come against Citadel in Week 14, rushing for 118 yards and two touchdowns on only five touches out of the backfield, including a 70-yard rushing touchdown. Unfortunately, Haynes would suffer an ACL tear just three weeks later during the ACC Championship against SMU.

While the Tigers would go on to win the game and make the 2024 College Football Playoffs, losing the backup running back wouldn't be emphasized enough until the season-opener of Clemson's 2025 season.

Following the LSU loss, the depth in the backfield made Haynes' absence even more glaring. Clemson's run game struggled mightily in the contest, totaling just 19 yards on nine carries from the active backs, with zero rushes in the fourth quarter. Additionally, due to a poor pass protection rep, true freshman Gideon Davidson only played two snaps, leaving the Tigers without the explosiveness Haynes would typically provide.

"We just didn't commit to the run. We just didn't do a good job as coaches. Adam Randall had one carry for six yards in the second half," Swinney said post-game. "We did a poor job. We just didn't give the run game a chance."

With the backfield thin and production limited so far, the Tigers will need him back at full strength if they hope to restore balance in the offense. Until then, the run game will remain a work in progress, and opponents will take notice.