Dabo Swinney Shares Encouraging Update on Hevin Brown-Shuler's Cancer Treatment

It's been a tough past few months for the third-year defensive tackle, but the light at the end of the tunnel is drawing closer.

Clemson third-year DT Hevin Brown-Shuler is almost done with his chemotherapy to treat his Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and is expected to ring the cancer-free bell next week. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Clemson Football has undergone its own share of injuries this year, but one of the most important ones came before the season even started: Hevin Brown-Shuler’s Hodgkin Lymphoma diagnosis.

Most recently, head coach Dabo Swinney shared an encouraging update about the third-year defensive tackle’s cancer treatment, saying he is almost done with his chemotherapy to treat his diagnosis.

"We have a player who hopefully is going to ring the bell next Thursday, and I'm going to be there to watch it,” Swinney said during an appearance on The Roar this past Wednesday.

He also mentioned while on the radio that ESPN's College GameDay reached out to him, as the company plans to do a feature story leading into this year's Palmetto Bowl. 

The segment will be headlined by the respective cancer battles of Brown-Shuler and former Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia, who was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer with liver lesions in May.

To understand how far Brown-Shuler has come over the past few months, it helps to go back to where this started.

In mid-May, the junior defensive lineman announced his diagnosis, releasing a statement through Clemson Athletics. 

“Recently, after doctors discovered a mass in my chest, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma,” Brown-Shuler said. “While this news was difficult to receive, I am grateful that the prognosis is very good, and I am approaching this challenge with optimism and determination.”

While he is obviously out for the entirety of the 2027 season due to the diagnosis, he still showcased how deep his love for Clemson Football runs. 

Throughout the summer, he stayed closely involved with the team from the sidelines, asking defensive tackles coach Nick Eason to send him the playbook and let him take part in position drills.

“I’m also excited about just this season and just my part, what I can do to just help the team out in any way, shape or form I can,” Brown-Shuler said in May. “I know I’ve talked to Coach E about, just making sure I’m in the playbook, still staying on top of install, we have our skills and drills, just staying on top of everything.”

With the end of treatment in sight, Brown-Shuler is close to finishing the hardest chapter of his young career. The prognosis has been good from the start, and once the chemotherapy is behind him, the focus shifts to recovery and a return to the field, where he has already shown how much the game means to him.