Unbelievable. With the 2026-27 college basketball season rapidly approaching, the Clemson Tigers will now be without guard Zac Foster for all of it. On Tuesday, Clemson shared the devastating news that Foster tore the same ACL he was rehabbing from last year. Obviously, there is no timetable for his return. This puts even more pressure on an already depleted Clemson backcourt for this season.
“I am devastated with this news," Foster said in a statement on his latest ACL injury setback. "I’ve worked extremely hard to come back and help this team this season, and to face this again is a very difficult reality. I appreciate the support of the Clemson Family, my teammates and my coaches over these past several months and I can’t wait to be back healthy and playing in Littlejohn again.”
Clemson head coach Brad Brownell also shared his thoughts in a statement on Foster's ACL injury.
“My heart hurts for Zac during this difficult time," Brownell said. "He is a special young man with a bright future. He has worked tirelessly these last nine-plus months to get back onto the floor. We’re committed to keeping Zac engaged throughout this process and he will continue to play a meaningful role in our team’s efforts. I care for him deeply and know that he will be resilient in the face of this new challenge.”
Brownell gave positive updates on Foster and Carter Welling's health during ACC Tipoff. Now, the Tigers will have to pick up the pieces without a key contributor as a part of the Tigers' rotation in the backcourt. Since Welling tore his ACL back in March, the forward from Utah was further behind in his rehabilitation process. All signs point toward him returning at some point during conference play now.
Unfortunately, Foster's injury and Dillon Hunter still being ineligible dampens the backcourt massively.
How Clemson will have to counterbalance with Zac Foster out indefinitely
Hopefully, Hunter is deemed eligible once again here soon. His five-in-five eligibility case in Georgia remains in an appellate court stay. This means Hunter and former Clemson forward RJ Godfrey are not yet eligible for the 2026-27 college basketball season. Brownell has said before that Hunter is on campus and enrolled in classes, hoping that he will get any positive news on his eligibility front soon.
In the event that Hunter cannot play for the Tigers, that puts even more pressure on Ace Buckner in the starting point guard role. He will have Notre Dame transfer Cole Certa out there to help him on the wing, but other primary ball-handling concerns might need to be thrust onto talented true freshman Harris Reynolds' plate. He just won a state championship at St. Pius X Catholic in Atlanta last winter.
Clearly, Clemson's ceiling for this season has taken a hit upon the brutally bad news of Foster being out for its entirety now. Unfortunately, Welling's return to the hardwood may not have to be expedited to give the frontcourt some much-needed bite. While Welling is still working his way back, look for Dylan Faulkner and David Fuchs to carry the load of the work down low for this Clemson frontcourt.
Right now, Foster's second season-ending injury in a row could put Clemson's chances of getting back into the NCAA Tournament in jeopardy. If this team was at full strength, it could have been a top-six team in the ACC and likely tournament-bound. While Brownell is an excellent head coach and has a competitive roster behind him, Clemson is so behind the eight ball when it comes to ball-handling.
If there is any good news to be had, Clemson will have enough time to get other players acclimated.
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