Clemson Week 2 Injury Report: Latest Updates and Replacement Options

After fall camp concluded back in August, the Clemson Tigers had nearly everybody healthy, a positive sign for head coach Dabo Swinney entering the season.

Having plenty of depth is a winning recipe for any team, and entering the second week of the season against Georgia Southern on Saturday night, the Tigers should have nearly everybody playing at home.

However, with all football programs, there will be some inactives heading into the contest.

The two big ones are true freshman Polo Anderson and defensive tackle Markus Strong. Anderson tore his ACL during fall camp and will miss the entire season, a terrible outcome for one of Clemson’s expected standout freshmen. Likewise, Strong is expected to miss the entire season with a lower-leg injury that was suffered in the Tigers’ loss to No. 11 LSU last weekend.

Anderson’s injury has been known for a while, and Clemson has had a plan to fill the void. Behind starters Corey Myrick and Jerome Carter III is senior Ronan Hanafin, who saw time at both safety spots for the Tigers last weekend. Behind him in the depth chart is fifth-year Kylon Griffin and sophomore Jakarrion Kenan.

In Strong’s place, it becomes more of a slim room. Clemson will rely on sophomore Amare Adams and junior Andy Burburija, who both started in the LSU loss as well. Rotating in that game were junior Champ Thompson and sixth-year player Dietrick Pennington, who was a former offensive lineman who has flashed at the position thus far.

The Tigers will have to wait a week until they get graduate lineman Vic Burley back, who was expected to play an important role in the program’s trenches. He was arrested back in August, although he will be reinstated next Monday to be ready for ACC play against North Carolina.

Clemson’s only other injury, who didn’t play against LSU last weekend, was offensive lineman Collin Sadler. Expected to take the reins from right tackle Blake Miller, who started every game for three seasons, Sadler was only expected to be used in an emergency-like setting, Swinney said earlier this week.

However, he’s expected to play this weekend, although the right tackle spot had sophomore Easton Ware make his first start of his collegiate career.

“He’s had a good week,” Swinney said on Wednesday of Sadler. “He was close last week. . .but he’s doing good, had a good week.”

Overall, everybody is healthy for the program, being a positive sign as the Tigers look to pick up their first win of the season against the Eagles at home.

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