Clemson's regular season will begin in earnest on Monday night when Brad Brownell's Tigers host the Stetson Hatters at Littlejohn. While the Tigers did win both of their preseason exhibitions against Georgia and Presbyterian, there are some lingering concerns about this team's roster construction. However, it does seem as though Dylan Faulkner will be able to hold down the fort for Carter Welling.
Earlier in the week, Brownell let it be known to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein that "Clemson is preparing for the 2026-27 season with the thought that Carter Welling (knee) will be out for all of non-conference play." This was the expectation coming in, but Brownell confirmed this late on Tuesday morning. Welling tore his ACL back in March, and his recovery was always slated to be back in 2027.
While Clemson could surely use his 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, Faulkner has certainly looked the part as the team's new go-to scorer down low for the time being. He scored 21 points against Georgia, and then another 20 against Presbyterian. Not too bad for the Samford transfer. At the very least, Faulkner is showing that the move up to Power Four competition will not be so steep.
Brad Brownell tells me that Clemson is preparing for the 2026-27 season with the thought that Carter Welling (knee) will be OUT for all of non-conference play.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 27, 2026
The 6-11 Welling averaged 10.2 PPG and 5.4 RPG last season and suffered a torn ACL on March 11th in the ACC Tournament.
Dylan Faulkner should round into form during the non-conference slate
Of the many things Brownell needs to worry about in the non-conference slate, Faulkner does not seem to be one of them. Clemson is still trying to figure out if Dillon Hunter can play one last season for them at point guard. With Zac Foster out for the year with a re-torn ACL, Clemson could really use Hunter's help in the backcourt, with Ace Buckner, Cole Certa, and Harris Reynolds all still unproven.
The good news is Clemson will get three lower-level teams in the non-conference to effectively warm up against in Stetson, American, and North Dakota, all at home. Clemson does get Georgetown out of the Big East on Friday the 13th, before another tune-up with The Citadel, before things do get really interesting. Clemson will play three games in the Maui Invitational, starting with Ole Miss on Nov. 23.
Clemson will have a handful of other games in the non-conference play before it commences ACC play versus Virginia on Dec. 29. Some of those notable non-conference matchups include Auburn, at TCU, at South Carolina, and at Cincinnati. In short, we are looking at Welling missing around 14 games for Clemson. That should be enough of a runway for the rest of the frontcourt to join Faulkner's ranks.
At this time, Brownell will need the rest of his team to rise to the occasion. Much of what made last year's team so successful is no longer with the program. It will be about holdovers such as Buckner and Welling meshing with newcomers such as Faulkner, Certa, and Reynolds. Together, they can keep Clemson's NCAA Tournament streak alive, albeit in an expanded field. It will be a long way to January.
Right now, Clemson should feel good about its potential breakout star in the frontcourt in Faulkner.
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