Clemson’s routine afternoon against Furman just turned into a serious injury watch.
Already down a starter after tight end Olsen Patt-Henry left in the first half with a knee injury, the Tigers saw another key piece of their lineup go down in the third quarter when defensive end Jahiem Lawson suffered what appeared to be a significant right-leg injury.
Lawson went down on the field in the third quarter and needed assistance getting to the sideline, unable to put any weight on his right leg. He was helped off by trainers and immediately taken into the injury tent for further evaluation.
What makes the situation even more alarming for Clemson: Lawson was still in the game deep into the third quarter, even as the Tigers had largely turned to their backups with the contest against Furman well in hand. Moments later, he was the one on the turf, and the tone inside the stadium shifted from routine to anxious.
He becomes Clemson’s second major contributor to exit with an injury in this matchup, joining Patt-Henry, whose knee issue in the first half already raised questions about the tight end room and red-zone packages moving forward.
Lawson’s absence, if it lingers, would be a major blow to Clemson’s defensive front, impacting the pass rush and edge-setting in run defense. For now, the Tigers will have to lean even more on their depth along the defensive line while they await word on just how serious the injury is.
No official update on either Lawson or Patt-Henry had been announced immediately following Lawson’s exit, but all eyes on the Clemson sideline were locked on the injury tent — and on a defense that just lost one of its key playmakers in a game that was supposed to be about clean reps and confidence, not crisis management.