Clemson football is rolling into its first ACC road game of the season already banged up, with multiple defensive starters listed as questionable on their initial injury report. This isn’t just a minor tweak for the Tigers, who are sitting at 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the ACC. They’re heading out to face California, also 2-1 and 1-0, for a late-night showdown on September 25, 2026, at 10:30 p.m. on ESPN. This is a crucial early-season matchup, and having key pieces sidelined is a serious problem.
Defense Is On Shaky Ground For The Golden Bears Battle
The biggest blows are definitely on defense. Starting nickel Corian Gipson is one of the guys listed as questionable, and his status is a huge concern. Coach Dabo Swinney told reporters on September 22 that Gipson has been “banged up” all last week, and he’s still “working his way” back. We don’t even know what the injury is exactly, but it was bad enough that Gipson only lasted two snaps against North Carolina on September 19 before he had to exit the game. Swinney straight up said Gipson “tried and just wasn’t quite ready.” The dude was “really limited throughout the week” with a “little tweak” and barely practiced. You gotta feel for him trying to gut it out, but Swinney admitted Gipson “wasn’t confident enough” to play at the level he needed. That’s a huge void in the secondary.
Then there’s Devarrick Woods, a co-starter at defensive tackle, also questionable. Woods only got promoted to co-starter before the UNC game and made just one tackle against the Tar Heels. He’s got four total tackles this season, so he’s a growing presence on the D-line. Losing him, even as a co-starter, thins out that defensive front, and Cal is not going to take it easy. This defense is going to be tested, big time.
Quarterback Getting Healthier, But Other Skill Players Are Still Out
It’s not all doom and gloom on the injury front, though. Former starting quarterback Christopher Vizzina is listed as probable, which is a step in the right direction. He missed the UNC game because of increased swelling in his left elbow, which was messing with his grip. Vizzina got that elbow tweaked in the Tigers’ 22-7 win over Georgia Southern on September 12. Coach Swinney said on September 22 that Vizzina “took some reps yesterday” and is “getting better each day,” but the real hurdle is “getting the full movement” to “really turn and really push the ball, load the ball.” Having him back even if not 100% is better than nothing, especially for depth.
Unfortunately, running back Jay Haynes is still questionable. He hasn’t played since tearing his ACL way back in the 2024 ACC Championship Game against SMU. Swinney said Haynes is “working his way back” and coming along in his recovery. The guy rushed for 295 yards and three touchdowns in 2024, so getting him back would be a big boost whenever it happens. On top of all this, a laundry list of guys are straight up OUT: S Polo Anderson, CB Shavar Young Jr, WR Cole Turner, RB Peyton Streko, WR Keil McGriff, DT Hevin Brown-Shuler, DT Kourtney Kelly, LB Joseph Roberto II, OL Adam Guthrie, OL Mason Wade, and DT Markus Strong. That’s a lot of depth gone. Cal isn’t totally healthy either, with RB Carter Vargas, DL Frank Fauna Jr., OL Lamar Robinson, and DL Nate Burrell all listed as doubtful. But man, Clemson’s report is just brutal right now.
The Tigers really need to pull it together for this Cal game. With both teams sporting identical 2-1, 1-0 ACC records, this first road game is going to be a true test of grit and depth. It’s going to be wild to see how Coach Swinney and the team manage these injuries on the road against a hungry Golden Bears squad.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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