With 9:49 left in the second quarter of Clemson against Florida State, plenty of hearts dropped when left guard Elyjah Thurmon took a scary hit head-on from a Seminoles linebacker. Thurmon was down on the turf for several minutes, clearly in a lot of pain.
Players from both teams saw the severity of what had just happened, kneeling down on one knee to show support for the big-bodied lineman. Unfortunately, this was so serious that Thurmon was put on a stretcher and then carted off. Play resumed shortly after he was removed from the game, with the Tigers and Noles tied at 10-10.
The cart is coming out for Clemson LG Elyjah Thurmon. Entire Tigers bench is out. Several players are on one knee. pic.twitter.com/GCWmonK72E
— Nick Coppola (@Nick_Coppola__) November 1, 2026
Elyjah Thurmon provided Clemson fans with relief by giving a thumbs up while leaving the field
This was a scary situation overall, and the Clemson players were clearly shaken by things a bit. You never want to see one of your teammates go down like this - Thurmon being placed on a stretcher with his head and neck stabilized surely added to the worry, too.
Thankfully, however, Thurmon gave everyone inside the stadium a moment of relief, as he was able to raise his arm and give a thumbs-up to everyone to let people know that while this is serious, he does have movement in his extremities. ESPN's Madison Fitzpatrick quickly said on the broadcast as well that Thurmon will be taken to a nearby hospital and that his mom is by his side.
"He got into an ambulance, and he will be taken to FSU Health- Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, which is about four miles away," Fitzpatrick said. "His mom is with him, so that was an emotional moment, but she is there with him, holding his hand."
When asked about the injury at halftime, head man Dabo Swinney said he didn't have any new updates on his starting guard, but that he was responsive and moving around a little bit, which is obviously a great sign. You could tell that Swinney was a bit relieved in even confirming that bit of news. Clemson will now hope to record a win for Thurmon, who has meant so much to this team up front in 2026.
The 6-4, 325-pound junior has dealt with some injury adversity as a whole this year, but Swinney is always ready to depend on him whenever he goes to battle in the trenches. Should additional information arrive on Thurmon's status, we'll continue to provide Clemson fans with more updates as they become available.
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