Just 24 hours after giving Clemson fans a dose of optimism, Dabo Swinney tapped the brakes on the official status of his starting quarterback, Cade Klubnik.
After indicating on his Monday radio show that he hoped to have Klubnik back for Saturday's game against Duke, Swinney was more measured during his Tuesday press conference, deferring any definitive announcements until later in the week.
"From an injury standpoint, you guys are gonna ask about a lot of people, but we'll put it on a report on Thursday," Swinney told reporters. "We'll kind of see where we are. We're obviously just coming off one day of practice so far this week."
The coach emphasized the need for more evaluation time before making a final determination on Klubnik, who is recovering from a sprained ankle that forced him to miss his first start in 34 games.
"We'll wrap it up and, you know, really [see] who is game-ready, and who's still got some work to do," Swinney said. "And then we'll report that on Thursday."
The cautious tone on Tuesday stands in contrast to Monday's hopeful outlook. On his radio show, Swinney was asked what his expectations were for his senior quarterback this week. His answer was direct: "To be ready to play and to play well.”
Klubnik was unable to practice last week and was a pregame scratch against SMU on Oct. 18. Backup Chris Vizzina filled in, throwing for 317 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.
Now, after an open date to aid his recovery, Klubnik's availability remains the team's most pressing question. Before the injury, he had completed nearly 66 percent of his passes for 1,530 yards and 13 total touchdowns.
While the expectation remains that Klubnik will return, the official word won't come until Thursday, leaving the Tigers (3-4, 2-3 ACC) and their fans waiting for the final report before a pivotal noon kickoff against Duke.