\We spent all winter dreaming about that dynamic duo lighting up Death Valley, and now the sideline is stacked with more star power than half the ACC’s starting lineups.
This availability report is enough to make any Tiger fan’s blood pressure spike.
The "No-Fly Zone": Receiving Corps Gutted
Death Valley feels like it’s missing some oxygen today, and that’s because our high-flying passing attack is grounded. We’ve all been counting down the days to see TJ Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. take that next step, but that dream’s on hold. Moore and Cole Turner are both still on the mend after postseason surgeries, and suddenly our receiver depth chart looks like a ghost town.
Head Coach Dabo Swinney tried to play it cool earlier this spring, but my fan-heart is doing 100 mph. Swinney noted:
“T.J. Moore, right now, still in yellow. Had a little surgery postseason. Him and Cole Turner both had very similar surgery, lower-body wise. So, they're both doing great. They'll both be limited early, but at some point as we get through spring, those guys will ramp up as well.”
Add in Tristan Smith, who’s fighting through an ankle injury, and Bryant Wesco Jr., who’s still being eased back after last season’s heartbreak, and suddenly the sideline is starting to look like an All-ACC roster.
The Trenches & Tight Ends: "Truly Out"
If you came hoping for some good news in the trenches, you might want to cover your eyes. Collin Sadler and Olsen Patt-Henry aren’t just limited—they’re out for the entire spring, and Dabo didn’t even try to soften the blow.
“We have very few guys out this spring, which is very different from where we were last spring. Had a laundry list of guys last spring that were out. We've only got truly two guys that are out all spring, and that's Olsen and Sadler. Those two guys are out all spring. Everybody else is back in practice, working back in practice, doing some type of practice.”
Dietrick Pennington is still out on the O-line, and the defensive front is taking some serious hits too. Amare Adams and Makhi Williams Lee are both limited, and Dabo didn’t sugarcoat it when talking about Williams Lee:
“Makhi will probably get a little individual, and that's probably all he'll get all spring.”
On Adams, the coach added:
“He'll be in individual the first part of these few practices, and then he'll ramp up as he kind of shows his progression warrants that.”
Full Sidelined List (The "Please Get Well Soon" List):
- Offense: WR TJ Moore, WR Bryant Wesco Jr., WR Cole Turner, WR Tristan Smith (ankle), OL Dietrick Pennington, OL Collin Sadler, TE Olsen Patt-Henry, RB Jay Haynes.
- Defense: DT Makhi Williams Lee, DT Amare Adams, DT Kourtney Kelly (ACL), CB Shavar Young Jr.
From a fan’s seat, I know Dabo keeps saying this isn’t last year’s injury list, but when you see Kourtney Kelly out with an ACL and Jay Haynes still working his way back, it’s hard not to feel like the football gods are out to get us. We need these reps, we need the chemistry, and if I see another yellow non-contact jersey, I might just lose my mind.
The talent is there, but can they stay on the field? That’s the $100,000 question hanging over Death Valley today. Go Tigers... I guess I'll go buy some more aspirin.