Initial Injury Report Revealed for Clemson's Week 4 Matchup vs. California

Here's every player who was featured on the ACC's mandatory injury report for Clemson on Tuesday evening.

Clemson nickelback Corian Gipson is questionable to play on Friday night, according to the ACC's mandatory injury report. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It’s now the second week of ACC play, and with that comes the mandated injury report for Clemson’s matchup against California on Friday night.

This is the first availability report we'll get. The next comes 24 hours before the contest (Thursday at 10:30 p.m.), followed by the final one on game day.

As mentioned last week, we already know about the plethora of season-ending injuries the Tigers have already faced, including an ACL tear to true freshman safety Polo Anderson and Markus Strong’s lower-leg injury that he suffered in the program’s season-opener against LSU.

That said, here is every player on Clemson's injury report with less than 72 hours until kickoff at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California.

Out:

S Polo Anderson

CB Shavar Young Jr. 

WR Cole Turner

RB Peyton Streko

WR Keil McGriff

DT Hevin Brown-Shuler

DT Kourtney Kelly

LB Joseph Roberto II

OL Adam Guthrie

OL Mason Wade

DT Markus Strong

Questionable:

CB Corian Gipson

RB Jay Haynes

DT Devarrick Woods

Probable:

QB Christopher Vizzina

Regarding the players who are listed as “out” and “probable,” none should come as a surprise. Like last week, Vizzina falls under the probable category as he’s still recovering from an elbow injury in his non-throwing arm, which was aggravated during the first quarter of the Georgia Southern contest.

Since then, true freshman Tait Reynolds has taken over as the starter, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be losing that spot anytime soon. Last week, he led the Tigers to a 28-20 comeback win over North Carolina, completing 20-of-29 passes for 215 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

When asked afterward if Reynolds would remain the starting quarterback, head coach Dabo Swinney gave a one-word answer: "Absolutely."

Now, the new additions to the availability report include starting nickelback Corian Gipson, co-starting defensive tackle Devarrick Woods and depth running back Jay Haynes.

We hinted at an injury to Gipson earlier this week when covering the Tigers’ PFF grades and snap counts, as the redshirt sophomore logged just two defensive snaps in the contest, which was extremely unusual considering his role on the team.

While it wasn’t followed up on immediately after the contest, Swinney spoke about it on Tuesday, saying Gipson was “banged up” and already “really limited” at practice heading into the contest.

“He tried and just wasn’t quite ready,” Swinney explained. “He was really limited throughout the week. Just had a little tweak and just didn't really practice much, but thought he was going to be able to play in the game, and I think he went a series or so, and he just wasn't confident enough that he could that he could do what he needed to do."

This is the biggest injury storyline to watch as gameday approaches, with Swinney saying “he’s working his way” back to health. Gipson would be a huge loss for a Clemson defense focused on shutting down quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and the receiving duo of Ian Strong and Chase Hendricks.

If Gipson isn’t able to go come Friday, redshirt junior Misun Kelley will likely get the start.

Clemson's staff hasn't mentioned Devarrick Woods' injury, and there have been no reports on how it happened. Even so, it could be a significant loss for a Tigers team that has already lost three players at the position this year and has largely underperformed.

Without knowing Woods' status, let alone the nature of the injury, it's unclear how serious it is. But if he can't go, Champ Thompson would likely see more reps in the rotation, along with Vic Burley, who recorded a fumble recovery in his season debut against North Carolina last week.

The last new name on the report is redshirt sophomore Jay Haynes, who has yet to see the field in 2026.

The 5-foot-11 elusive back first broke on the scene in 2024 as a backup behind Phil Mafah, rushing for 295 yards and three touchdowns on just 43 carries. Unfortunately, though, he tore his ACL during the ACC Championship against SMU, sidelining him for all of 2025.

It's not clear what he's dealing with now, or whether it's related to his ACL, but Swinney said he has been "on ice" and was recently re-evaluated to confirm the diagnosis.

“Jay Haynes has kind of been on ice,” Swinney said on Tuesday. “He had to get re-evaluated and he’s kind of working his way back. Got confirmation on what he’s dealing with but he’s still coming.”

Entering the contest, this is the injury to be least worried about. While nobody wants to see players deal with setbacks, Haynes hasn’t even played this year up to this point. Not to mention, the Tigers still boast a running back committee that includes Gideon Davidson — who recorded his first career 100-yard performance last week — Jarvis Green, SMU transfer Chris Johnson Jr. and David Eziomume.

Clemson Tigers on SI will remain up to date on all ACC mandatory updates regarding injuries to the program ahead of the Week 4 contest. Kickoff is set for 10:30 p.m. EDT from California Memorial Stadium, with the game to be broadcast on ESPN. 

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