Dabo Swinney Gives Multiple Injury Updates Following First Fall Camp Scrimmage

Clemson Football held its first fall camp scrimmage on Saturday afternoon, followed by head coach Dabo Swinney speaking to the media about how it went, which players stood out, among other topics.

One of the first subjects covered during the nearly 40-minute question-and-answer session was injuries.

As reported by us yesterday, news broke that true freshman safety Polo Anderson tore his ACL during a punt drill at Jervey Meadows on Friday. He was the Tigers' second-highest-rated recruit in the 2026 class, ranking as the No. 113 overall player.

Swinney added that junior walk-on linebacker Joseph Roberto II also tore his ACL recently during a punt drill.

"I'm sure ya'll heard about Polo," Swinney opened. "He tore his ACL yesterday, so I just hate that for him. It's part of it, and [Joseph] Roberto tore his ACL as well during a punt drill. Polo just kind of came down on a competitive play and got tangled up there."

The veteran head coach then cited Anderson's growth since the spring and his mental state as two positives. Nevertheless, it's still a hit to a secondary that was planning for the freshman to have an immediate impact.

"But, you know, the positive for him is he knows he can do it, from where he was in January, you know, coming in, I mean, he was really going to help us this year for sure," he continued. "He was positioned to be a big-time contributor for us, so I hate that for him. But the positive again is he knows he can do it, he's in a great place mentally."

Swinney also gave a quick update on West Georgia defensive tackle transfer Kourtney Kelly, who tore his ACL in the spring and has been "crushing it" with rehab.

"Just like Kourtney Kelly, you know, in the spring," he said. "Kourtney Kelly will be back sometime this season. He's been crushing it with his rehab. [Anderson's] was a clean tear, so that's a good thing — he'll have surgery. He's got five years left… he's going to be a great one, and I think in his mind now he knows he can be a great one."

Another recently inactive player is senior defensive tackle Vic Burley, who entered Clemson as a five-star recruit in 2023 and has been competing for a starting spot on the interior all spring and summer.

He suffered an undisclosed injury sometime last week, with Swinney saying, "I mean, I think he's day-to-day, but we'll see."

However, when he was asked about an update on Burley on Saturday, and whether he's played or not since, Swinney said this: "No, he has not practiced. He's trying to get back, but he's not back yet." He also said that his timeline remains day-to-day.

Notably, Tigers star wideout T.J. Moore didn't participate in the scrimmage due to an undisclosed lower-body injury; however, he did engage in light pre-practice work. Swinney says the junior is essentially day-to-day.

"Yeah, he's just banged up," he stated, rounding out the injuries. "He should be good to go here soon."

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