The bye week is often a welcome occasion for college football teams to get healthy, and Clemson Football is no exception.
While the injury bug hasn’t been quite as impactful this season as some in recent memory, the team has accumulated more as the season has progressed.
The most notable players to have missed time have been Antonio Williams and Nate Wiggins, both of whom are key players for each side of the line of scrimmage.
Williams missed the Florida State game. Both missed the Syracuse game. They dressed and went through warm-ups for the Wake Forest game, but ultimately did not play.
Clemson CB Nate Wiggins is dressed out but no helmet on and didn't play at all on that first series. Interestingly, no Sheridan Jones either (haven't seen him on the sideline yet). Jeadyn Lukus and Toriano Pride Jr., both true sophomores, are starting today at corner
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) October 7, 2023
Williams is considered to be Clemson’s best receiver, and Wiggins is considered to be their best cornerback. Head coach Dabo Swinney expects both to return after the bye week.
Dabo Swinney: "I think both of those guys will be ready to roll when we go down to Miami" https://t.co/lSwDL5LHTB
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) October 8, 2023
Clemson was also missing senior cornerback Sheridan Jones against the Demon Deacons, and his absence was unexpected. Swinney said after the game:
"“He just was feeling kind of sick and nauseous on the bus ride over, and his head was hurting, and could hardly look at the sun. So, they took him to evaluate him, and they’re running some tests on him, and that’s really all I know right now. So, literally right after we walked through the Tiger Walk, I get hit with that news.”"
Hopefully, Jones will be better by the Miami game as well.
Clemson has a chance to play their best football with their best players healthy coming out of the bye week
Inevitably, other players are dealing with nagging problems that don’t prevent them from playing but can impact their ability to play at full speed. The bye week will be helpful for them as well.
Clemson is a team at a stage of development where it isn’t a bad thing for second-string players to get snaps. Jaedyn Lukus and Toriano Pride stepped into the starting line-up for Wiggins and Jones this week, and both played good games.
Offensively, Williams’s absence gave freshman Tyler Brown a chance to get more snaps. He had a wonderful game against Syracuse but had to fight through an off day against Wake Forest. Both experiences will help him in the long run.
Developing the second string is a silver lining, but as the Tigers approach the second half of their regular season, they will need their best players on the field. The back half of the schedule features Miami, Notre Dame, and North Carolina, as well as traditional rivals NC State, Georgia Tech, and South Carolina.