Not again! Clemson fans already saw one of their former stars in Bryan Bresee miss a ton of games in undergrad due to injury. Now the star defensive tackle for the New Orleans Saints has likely seen his fourth NFL season with the team come to an end. On Wednesday afternoon, the former first-round pick by the Saints out of Clemson in the 2023 NFL Draft looks to have suffered yet another torn ACL.
Ian Rapoport painted a bleak picture for this NFL star on the rise who will now likely miss all of 2026.
Bryan Bresee is not a household name, but he’s quietly become one of the better defensive linemen in the NFL. Now, out with a significant knee injury. https://t.co/VznZDcbxFH
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 29, 2026
Bresee was every bit the blue-chip prospect coming out of high school in Maryland. He came to Clemson with so much promise in 2020. While he did end up becoming an all-conference performer, Bresee turned pro after three seasons playing for Dabo Swinney. Although he has had a clean bill of health for the most part in the NFL, this would be his second ACL tear since the 2021 college season.
With the Saints on the verge of contending in the up-for-grabs NFC South, losing Bresee is so brutal.
Bryan Bresee may have torn his ACL in New Orleans Saints' training camp
If there is any consolation prize to be had from this, at least the Saints did extend him the fifth-year option. Had this been a contract year for him, who knows how much this injury may have depreciated Bresee's value on the market? He has already endured so much in his first 24 years of life. To not be a part of a potential ascending playoff contender, that absolutely stinks for him. This is so devastating.
As Clemson tries to get back into the national title conversation, one of their own is not going to be able to be a part of his NFL team's success. One of the reasons the Saints were able to come on a bit down the stretch last year was because of coaching. Bresee really flourished playing under Brandon Staley last fall. Unfortunately, Bresee will not be a part of what this team does on the field this season.
So what does this mean for the Saints, and how can we tie it back to Clemson? Well, New Orleans seems to have lost a high-end player who could have helped the Saints sneak up on Atlanta, Carolina, and Tampa Bay in the division. The Saints could still win the NFC South, mostly because that division cannot ever be trusted. However, Bresee's knee injury does lower expectations for the Saints a bit.
As far as the Clemson component is concerned, Swinney loses one of his best examples of high-end perseverance he can point to over in the NFL. Bresee was dripping with talent coming out of high school. While his college career did not go as expected, he powered through so much adversity and still ended up being a first-round pick. The shame is he probably lost another year of his NFL prime.
Bresee being the perfect prototype of the type of players Swinney wants makes this hurt even more.
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