Rivalry week doesn’t usually hand out good news, but Dabo Swinney delivered some Wednesday night anyway.
Clemson expects to get defensive tackle Stephiylan Green back in the rotation Saturday in Columbia, and Swinney indicated true freshman quarterback Chris Denson avoided anything long-term after having his foot stepped on in practice.
That’s the backdrop as the Tigers head into the Palmetto Bowl at South Carolina (noon ET, SEC Network) with bruises, storylines — and a quarterback legacy debate that Swinney clearly thinks has gotten too narrow.
Injury report trends the right way
The headline is up front: Swinney anticipates Green will be available after missing the last two weeks, a boost for Clemson’s interior depth heading into a road game that will demand physicality on every snap.
And after Swinney revealed Tuesday that Denson got stepped on while running scout-team reps, his tone Wednesday suggested the freshman’s issue “doesn’t appear serious” moving forward.
In rivalry week, that matters — not just for who plays, but for what Clemson can threaten.
Denson’s momentum meets the weekly mystery
Denson’s name is suddenly part of Clemson’s weekly oxygen because Furman turned into a coming attraction: 4-for-4 passing for a touchdown, plus 106 rushing yards and another score.
Even if Clemson never fully tips its hand on a package, Denson’s emergence adds a wrinkle South Carolina has to respect — and it gives Swinney one more lever to pull if the game turns into a field-position fistfight.
Swinney’s playoff rooting interest: Venables and Elliott
Clemson won’t be in the playoff picture, but Swinney made it clear he’ll be watching familiar faces.
He said he’s proud of former coordinators Brent Venables (Oklahoma) and Tony Elliott (Virginia), noting both programs are examples of administrations showing patience with “good people and good coaches” as they push toward postseason goals.
It was vintage Swinney: praise the process, point to development, and remind everyone that overnight success is usually a myth.
Klubnik’s legacy? “You win as a team”
The most revealing part of Swinney’s night wasn’t about availability — it was about perspective.
With Cade Klubnik stepping into another rivalry game still carrying last year’s ending, Swinney bristled at the idea that one Saturday can define a career. He acknowledged “life ain’t fair,” then pivoted to what he believes is the actual résumé: Klubnik’s wins, his competitiveness, and the way he’s navigated moments that weren’t solely on his shoulders.
Swinney pointed out Klubnik sits sixth in wins in Clemson history, placing him in conversation with the program’s winning quarterbacks — and framed it as a team story, not a single-throw referendum.
“He’s made a lot of great plays and a lot of winning plays for Clemson football,” Swinney said.
Now Clemson heads to Columbia with a little more help up front, a freshman wild card that hasn’t gone away — and a quarterback who, fairly or not, will have his loudest moments remembered in rivalry color.