LOOK: Clemson running back Will Shipley updates health
Transitioning on the offensive side of the ball from 2020, the Clemson Tigers struggled last season with a number of new faces taking over. Now sophomore running back Will Shipley was one of the few bright spots, leading the Tigers in rushing last year and is looking to improve upon it this season.
Even with the expectations, an injury was thought to have caused a setback for Shipley. However, a positive update came out of Clemson on Tuesday afternoon, with a photo on social media giving hope to all Tiger fans.
The official Clemson Football Twitter account showed a picture of Shipley back on the football field for the first time this spring. The star running back quote tweeted it, saying it’s “great to be back” and added a couple of flexing emojis in there as well.
Check it out here.
As seen in the picture, Shipley is still wearing a green non-contact bib but is still wearing his shoulder pads. It may not be a full return for the running back but a positive sign nonetheless.
Before the beginning of spring practice, head coach Dabo Swinney provided an update on where Shipley stood in returning to practice. Still in the middle of rehabbing, the head coach said nobody was more upset about missing team workouts than Shipley.
“Will Shipley looks great,” Swinney said. “There’s nobody more disappointed than Will Shipley that he couldn’t do mat drills. That guy loves every ounce of everything, but he’s in a good spot with his rehab.”
Shipley was highly recruited, being a borderline five-star prospect on the On3 Consensus. The potential was immediately shown as a freshman, taking over as the starting running back in Tony Elliot’s offense. He ran for 759 yards while averaging five yards per carry. Shipley got into the endzone 11 times, good enough for fifth in the ACC.
Lining up in the backfield is not the only place he was effective, though. Shipley averaged 27.1 yards on 14 kickoff returns, paying dividends on special teams as well for Clemson. While getting back to 100% strength is the priority, it’s a positive sign to see the running back on the practice field once again.