Jeadyn Lukus has mid-spring practice surgery, but he's happy with his work put in

Jeadyn Lukus had surgery on his labrum this spring and looks to come back this August strong.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Fri Mar 24 14:08:06 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON – Jeadyn Lukus knew he needed all the practice time he could get, but he also knew he needed to allow time for surgery and rehab. That led to the decision to have surgery midway through spring practice.

Lukus, the rising sophomore cornerback out of Mauldin (SC), underwent surgery late last week to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Lukus injured the shoulder early last season but played through the pain as the Tigers dealt with depth issues at the corner spot.

He enters 2023 having recorded six tackles, a tackle for loss and an ACC Championship Game interception in 87 defensive snaps over 11 games as a freshman. But after missing most of the spring last season after surgery to repair the labrum in his right shoulder, Lukus knew he needed to spend time on the field before his latest turn at the doctor’s office. That led to Lukus participating in seven practices before having the surgery last Friday.

The timing of the surgery is critical – he won’t be able to resume football workouts until August, when fall camp begins. Thus the decision to participate in half of the spring.

“Just competing for a spot. It’s the only reason,” Lukus said. “Just getting the install (of the defense) and all of that and then competing for a job really.”

Lukus entered Clemson as a highly-rated prospect - he was a five-star player according to PrepStar, and was a Shrine Bowl selection for South Carolina. He was selected to the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando and was a unanimous national top-60 player.

Lukus was ranked No. 40 overall by Rivals.com, including ranking him as the fifth-best cornerback and second-best player in South Carolina. ESPN.com ranked him No. 48 overall, eighth-best among cornerbacks and second-best in South Carolina, and he was ranked No. 38 overall by 247Sports, fifth-best among cornerbacks and No. 1 in South Carolina

In other words, he was star at the high school level but had to make the transition to the competition at the collegiate level.

‘You’ve got to get used to that,” Lukus said. “Going to camps kind of prepares you, but you don’t really see that until you get here. I was just so used to relying on my physical ability, especially in high school. Here, you’ve got to use technique, hands and eyes. Everything matters really, so it’s just getting all those things down pat is really the main thing.”

He also had to work on his focus.

“At first, (coaches) were telling me to pick up your intensity when I first got here, and I feel like I’ve gotten better with that as I’ve been here for a longer period of time,” he said. “Just raising that intensity level each and every day.”

Helping Lukus is senior Sheridan Jones, who has also missed time in camp while dealing with an injury. But that hasn’t stopped Jones from being the leader.

“He’s the leader of the group, I would say,” Lukus said. “So he’s helped me a lot with a lot of things on the field. Just moving your feet and staying square to the line. But every day, he’s helping all of us out with tips here and there.”