What ACC's Latest Injury Report Says About Availability of Key Clemson Players

Clemson football is doing something not many would expected just a few years ago: travel to the West Coast to play an ACC opponent.

The Tigers will face Cal on Friday night in their second ACC affair of the season, but head coach Dabo Swinney will be without some important names going into the contest, according to the ACC’s mandatory injury report.

The loss of Woods at the IDL spot is a major one for Clemson.

Tigers have Vic Burley back from suspension, along with Andy Burburija, Amare Adams, and others who will likely see an increased role on Friday night. https://t.co/4ZihtYMdwr
— Drew Cagle (@_dcagle) September 24, 2026

Late on Wednesday night, it was revealed that defensive lineman Devarrick Woods, running back Jay Haynes and cornerback Corian Gipson were all downgraded to out against the Golden Bears this weekend. All were listed as “questionable” on Tuesday night’s report.

Swinney hasn’t had to deal with a group of injuries yet this season, which will have a handful of players out for a given contest. However, he’s had to deal with players like Markus Strong and Polo Anderson, who each suffered season-ending injuries before the program could get into ACC play.

Woods was a co-starter in Clemson’s win over North Carolina this past weekend. He only finished with one total tackle, but he brought experience to a defensive line that needed it. The room is also depleted, with names like Strong and Kourtney Kelly going through injuries within the group.

Fortunately, Clemson has graduate senior Vic Burley back, who recovered a fumble in his first snap back from suspension. While there’s a chance he won’t be a starter, he will still play behind the likes of true freshman Amare Adams and transfer Andy Burburija. Junior Champ Thompson is also a name that we’ve seen and could see more contributions in Woods’s place.

We haven’t seen Haynes all season yet, still recovering from a lingering injury that goes back to his torn ACL in the 2024 ACC Championship. The senior was the backup at the time during that season, which saw the Tigers go to the College Football Playoff.

In the backfield, though, Gideon Davidson has the momentum as the team’s starter. We’ve also seen SMU transfer Chris Johnson Jr. and Jarvis Green throughout the first three games. David Eziomume also scored a touchdown in the loss to LSU, and the team has a deep group that can make noise in the late-night contest on Friday night.

As for Gipson, he’s mainly played the TIGER position in the secondary when he’s been on the field. Swinney said that he got “banged up” against North Carolina, leading to the limited snaps he played last weekend.

In his place, there are a few options, though. Branden Strozier has seen the most snaps out of the candidates, even finishing with two tackles in the win over the Tar Heels. Misun “Tink” Kelley also saw time in that game, as well as Auburn transfer Donovan Starr, whose speed is one of the fastest on the time.

I’d expect it to be Strozier to get the start against Cal, while adding in the rest of the pieces when necessary.

Overall, Clemson will have a tall task of going to play away three time zones, and it will be without significant pieces that were contributors so far this season. However, that’s when some names, who we haven’t heard a lot of yet, become important pieces for a contending roster.

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