Swinney updates injury status of Shaq Smith |
Monday's
Clemson-Kent State depth chart was missing a pair of redshirt freshmen in linebacker
Shaq Smith and defensive end
Xavier Kelly. Monday night, Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney said they will both play, eventually.
Swinney said on his radio show that Smith was progressing in fall camp until suffering a high ankle sprain, which has caused him to miss time. Swinney said Smith practiced Friday, but was "gimpy." "Shaq was doing great," Swinney said, "but had a little setback with his ankle. He's back and cut loose to go today ... That limited him for about a week. He was really practicing well. I'm proud of him. He knows the MIKE and knows the WILL (positions). He'll be a guy who will be on all of our special teams as well. He's really come a long ways from last year as far as knowing the system. He has all the tools, but knowing the system he's come a long way." Xavier Kelly, a former four-star DE prospect out of Kansas, is "still not quite where we need him to be," per Swinney. "From owning the system and being able to play and react and not be thinking out there," Swinney said, "he's still processing that stuff and putting it together. He's a guy who hasn't played a whole lot. Physically he's impressive and has all the tools. He'll keep coming and I don't have any doubt you'll see that No. 22 out there this year."
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