Clemson injury updates: Dabo Swinney reveals status of offensive linemen, Wade Woodaz

By the end of the regular season, there are very few healthy teams. Still, head coach Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers have been dealing with numerous injuries at multiple positions late this year.

Ahead of the final game of the season against rival South Carolina, Swinney shared an injury update on several players. That started along the offensive line where he shared what he’s seen from Tristan Leigh and Marcus Tate as they try to get back on the field.

“Tristan and Marcus are trending in a good spot,” Dabo Swinney said. “As we sit right here today, I feel pretty good about them, but Tuesdays, Wednesday practices, I mean, you got to go practice. Especially those guys because they’ve been out a couple games. So, we’ve got to really go compete today, and so hopefully we can get through these next couple practices and be ready to go, but they’ve got to go do it these next couple days, but trending in a good spot.”

Injuries along the offensive line have been a problem for Clemson. Just ahead of last week’s game against The Citadel, Swinney even implied it was difficult to practice because they had so few players available.

Then, Clemson is also hoping to get back linebacker Wade Woodaz, who is dealing with a drainage issue following a contusion in his leg. This season, Woodaz has 61 total tackles, including seven tackles for a loss and two sacks. He also has an interception but Woodaz also hasn’t played since the Virginia Tech game.

“He’s better, same thing. He’s just gotten better and better. It was bad. It was really, really bad, but it just took a long time to loosen up to where he could even walk, and then how it drained in his leg. It just set him back with all the fluid and stuff,” Swinney said. “But he actually was able to practice yesterday, and he should get better each day. He should be getting a little bit better as he’s able to run around now and move around, but still not 100 percent, but he was able to practice.”

This final game is more than just a rivalry game for Clemson against South Carolina. It’s also a chance to stay alive for the College Football Playoff. The Tigers are currently on the outside looking in, but adding a ranked win could go a long way to boosting their resume.