Clemson Tigers Release Updated Depth Chart Ahead of South Carolina

Clemson's rivalry week depth chart dropped with a twist, as a couple of key starters are missing ahead of the Palmetto Bowl.

With two key starters out for the season, a handful of veterans and young talents are set to step up against South Carolina this week. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

This past Monday, the Clemson Tigers and head coach Dabo Swinney released an updated depth chart for their rivalry matchup against the South Carolina Gamecocks, with some notable names not appearing on the list.

With starting tight end Olsen Patt-Henry out for the season with a patellar tendon injury that he suffered early in the Furman contest, the Tigers have listed redshirt junior Josh Sapp and redshirt freshman Christian Bentancur as co-starters for the season finale. 

Throughout the season, Clemson has utilized multiple tight end sets, and that trend will continue with the two splitting reps at the position. In 2025, both Sapp and Bentancur have played just around the same amount of snaps, with the junior sitting at 211 total and the freshman logging 224 — playing a fair amount more in the past three games.

Sapp has recorded career highs across the board this season, catching eight balls for 118 yards — nearly 15 yards per catch. Bentancur isn't too far off from those numbers, recording 13 receptions for 135 yards and three touchdowns in his first year with an actual role in the offense.

On the other side of the ball lies another season-ending injury in defensive end Jahiem Lawson, who suffered an ankle injury after being late in the Furman contest. 

Swinney took full responsibility for the decision to keep him in the contest that far into the blowout, explaining that it involved a package they usually run with Lawson on the interior, which caused the veteran coach not to see the 6-foot-2 lineman out there. 

"I wish he wasn't [in]," Swinney vocalized. "It was a package, I thought we had everybody out, honestly. That's a package where he's inside, and honestly, I didn't see that; that's on me. 100% he shouldn't have been in there, and if I had really seen it, I should have called a timeout and gotten him out of the game."

Lawson is a massive blow to the front seven, as he has become the most reliable rotational piece for Clemson while having the best season of his collegiate career, registering 20 tackles, 6.5 for a loss, 3.5 sacks, and three pass deflections through 11 games.

Due to the injury, fifth-year Cade Denhoff and redshirt freshman Darien Mayo will be the primary backups behind starting edge rushers Will Heldt and T.J. Parker. 

Denhoff has played a good amount in his final year, logging at least 15 snaps in each game this year, tallying 16 tackles, one for a loss and one pass deflection. On the other hand, Mayo has barely played this year, with the majority of his snaps on the season coming in blowout wins against North Carolina (12) and Furman (15). However, the 6-foot-7 unit isn't anything to overlook, as his frame and wingspan immediately present problems for opposing linemen.