Above all else, the most important thing Clemson needs to get out of this game versus Charleston Southern is a clean bill of health. While Clemson is coming off its bye week, the Week 7 home date against the Buccaneers could be seen as a nice tune-up game for the Tigers. Clemson's season could be on the line next weekend when hosting Virginia Tech. For now, it is all about staying healthy.
The good news for Clemson is that not many players are going to be held out of this game. The bad news is two players along the defensive line are not dressing for this one. Defensive tackle Devarrick Woods and defensive end Armon Mason are in street clothes and are not expected to play versus Charleston Southern. This might be a sign of caution ahead of the Virginia Tech game next weekend.
Given that Clemson's defensive line is arguably its weakest unit at the halfway point of the season, any little injury is obviously magnified. While it may have been a bigger deal if starters like Amare Adams, Andy Burburija, Darien Mayo, or Champ Thompson were out, not having Mason or Woods available is not what you want. We can only hope that these injuries are of the short-term variety.
Clemson injury update: Among players listed on Monday's two-deep depth chart, co-starting DT Devarrick Woods and backup DE Armon Mason aren't expected to dress or play vs. Charleston Southern today. Everyone else expected to be available
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) October 17, 2026
Clemson can afford to put Devarrick Woods, Armon Mason on ice for now
While Saturday afternoon's game versus Charleston Southern could be seen as a tremendous opportunity for role players who need confidence to gain some, the last thing Clemson needs is for its weakest unit to be decimated before the heart of ACC play. Vic Burley has been virtually a non-factor for the Tigers this year. Markus Strong suffered a season-ending injury versus LSU in Week 1.
Right now, Clemson needs its defensive line to improve dramatically in the second half of the season. It may not have that high of a ceiling as is, but it clearly is the defense's bottleneck. Any improvement to the defensive line would be an improvement to the entire system on defense. Because the offense is still very much a work in progress, Clemson may have to win with tenacious defense going forward.
The good news is Clemson does have one of the better secondaries in the ACC. The linebacking corps is now a two-man wrecking crew with Jeremiah Alexander rising to Sammy Brown's occasion. While the pass rush comes and goes, it is not the glaring part of this defense. That comes back to run defense because the defensive line cannot get the penetration it needs to stop tailbacks right away.
Ultimately, Clemson should be more than fine to take on Charleston Southern without the play of Mason and Woods. However, Clemson does need to be as close to full strength as possible for when the Tigers host Virginia Tech next Saturday night. That game could decide if Clemson still has an outside shot at getting to Charlotte or not this season. Regardless, it will be a step up in competition.
We can only hope that Clemson can come out of this game with a victory and very few key injuries.
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