Dabo Swinney provides final update on South Carolina, OL tears ACL

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney looks to get his roster as healthy as possible for the rivalry clash.

by Grayson Mann - Correspondent - Nov 27, 2024, 6:47 PM

The final preparations are underway.

Clemson and South Carolina are days away from the Palmetto Bowl, and their clash has plenty of implications.

Dabo Swinney addressed the media for the final time ahead of Saturday’s contest. He provided an update on injuries, the early signing period for the 2025 recruiting class and more.

On Injuries:

Swinney started his injury update with the news that Trent Howard tore his ACL during Tuesday’s practice. With the status of Tristan Leigh and Marcus Tate uncertain, Howard’s injury provides another shake-up to the state of Clemson’s offensive line. Swinney did say that Leigh and Tate are “doing better” ahead of Saturday.

He was able to provide some positive news, stating DB R.J. Mickens will play against South Carolina. He was injured in the fourth quarter of the Pittsburgh game, and hasn’t returned since. He did dress for The Citadel.

Swinney gave the same report on Woodaz as he did on Tate and Leigh. Woodaz was “slow” during Monday’s practice but has continued to get better each day.

On Joshua Simon:

Clemson has their hands full on Saturday with South Carolina’s offense. One of those reasons why is because of tight end Joshua Simon, who leads the Gamecocks in catches, yards, and receiving touchdowns.

Swinney praised Simon’s game, calling the tight end a “complete player.” He also praised his ability to fit within Shame Beamer’s system, complimenting his ability as a receiver and a blocker.

On Early Signing Period/2025 Class

The early signing period starts next Wednesday, and Clemson’s class will be the talk of the town. According to 247Sports, Clemson’s 2025 class only holds 14 commitments, and is ranked 27th in the nation.

Swinney addressed the number, and how roster changes that will come in July may affect the grand picture of this class.

“There's a lot of things that can happen internally,” Swinney said. “We're going to have to be creative even with that number, with everybody's back. So thankfully the rules allow you to do that, but because we can't get to 105 until the fall, so we just have to see how it all plays out. It may work itself out. I mean, I don't have any indications, but I'm sure we'll like anybody else, we'll have a few guys that may want to move on, which can affect decisions. So we just have to see.”

Clemson also has six decommitments within this class, and Swinney commented on that as well, hoping the new rules coming in July will prevent such a surge of losses in the future.

“It's just 2024 and it doesn't happen often here,” Swinney said. “And hopefully, it won't happen a lot once we get into a little bit more of a normal environment. Hopefully, it'll be a rare thing, but I do think no matter what, it'll be something that, unfortunately, it'll be a little more common for everyone moving forward.”