Key Clemson Defensive Players Off Injury Report Against Louisville

The Clemson Tigers have a tough matchup against Louisville this Friday night, but the team will be fortunate to have two key players who were on the injury report over the course of this week.

Defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart and safety Ricardo Jones will both be available to play on Friday night, being important for the Clemson defense over the course of this season.

Jones leads the team in interceptions with four, being the only Tiger on the team with multiple picks. He recorded a takeaway in three of Clemson's last four games, being an important point of emphasis for the team's winning recipe if it wants to leave Kentucky with a win.

The sophmore recorded five pass breakups, a forced fumble and 29 total tackles of the course of the 2025 season, being a positive for Clemson's secondary so far this season.

Capehart, a sixth-year, will aid a Clemson defense line that will look to stop a high-octane Louisville run that averages 154.9 yards a contest. Despite star running back Isaac Brown being out of the game tonight, backup Keyjaun Brown is 15th in the ACC in rushing yards, having three straight games of 90 or more rushing yards.

The Hartsville, South Carolina, native has recorded a sack, 2.5 tackles for a loss and 17 total tackles for the Tigers in his final year of eligibility.

Especially with fellow defensive tackle Stephiylan Green being out for Friday night's game, Capehart will play an important role on defensive coordinator Tom Allen's defensive line, with contributors Vic Burley and freshman Amare Adams seeing an elevated role as well.

Despite being "available to play", don't be surprised to see many different players making an appearance for the team's defense. The younger players on the defensive line, as well as Allen's tendency to use three defensive ends on the line, could be seen more clearly in Clemson's scheme on Friday night, especially with a run-heavy offense.

On the flip side, Khalil Barnes will be the team's anchor at safety with Jones. Kylon Griffin is the safety behind the Georgia native on the depth chart, Ronan Hanafin and Tyler Venables being other players that could be used in the matchup.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. from L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN. Clemson is looking for its second straight win, while Louisville looks to keep its ACC Championship game hopes alive.