Clemson Football: Freshmen who will likely redshirt in 2023
By John Chancey
The Class of 2023 for Clemson Football was a large group of talented players. Some of them will play right away due to either talent or need at their position. Some will almost certainly redshirt. Others are a mystery.
Here are the freshmen who seem most likely to redshirt as things stand right now.
Vic Burley
- Number: 45
- Position: Defensive Tackle
- Height: 6’-4”
- Weight: 315 pounds
- High School: Warner Robins High School
- Hometown: Warner Robins, Georgia
- 247Sports Rating: 5-star
- 247Sports Ranking: 32nd
Burley is a big man, and he is going to be a great space eater for the Tigers one day. If we think of Peter Woods as the next-generation Christian Wilkins, think of Burley as the next-generation Dexter Lawrence. One day, he will be the anchor of this defensive line.
The big difference between Lawrence and Burley is that Big Dex was a starter from Day 1, and that won’t be the case for Burley, for a few reasons. The make-up of the defensive tackle room is a lot different than it was in 2016 when Lawrence arrived. The 2023 Tigers have a lot more depth at tackle than that group had.
There is also the dreaded “I” word: injury. It looks like Burley will miss time developing this season due to a lower-body injury. Before the injury, I would have considered Burley somewhere in the gray area when it comes to a redshirt. With him missing time, I think he will stay under the four-game max and redshirt.
This isn’t the worst thing in the world for Burley. If you have seen pictures of him, from the waist down he is an immovable object. From the waist up, he has room on his frame to add some bulk, which is awesome for Tigers Fans and should scare opposing offenses mightily when they realize just how powerful this man will be in 2024.