Dabo Swinney provides lengthy injury update as Clemson begins spring practice

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney spoke with the media on Wednesday ahead of the first practice of the spring.

Swinney covered a variety of topics, including where the Tigers are from a health standpoint.

Swinney provided a lengthy list of Clemson players who will either be out or limited this spring.

“From an injury standpoint, long-term guys that are doing well and working their way back – Sherrod Covil is a scholarship player that, as y’all know, tore his ACL back in November. He’s doing great. He’s doing really, really well,” Dabo Swinney said. “He’s ahead of schedule, is what they tell me. So he’ll be ready to go by the time we get to the season.”

Covil is a junior safety for the Tigers who appeared in eight games last season and recorded 10 tackles. 

“Jeadyn Lukus had the right hip surgery in December. He’s doing well, but he’ll be out in the spring,” Swinney said.

Lukus is a junior cornerback for Clemson who appeared in seven games, with four starts in 2023. He finished with five tackles and two pass breakups.

“Walker Parks, another guy that y’all all know, a starter. He’s doing really well,” Swinney said. “Our hope for him is to hopefully get some type of individual [work] and get him back moving from that standpoint. But he’s tracking in a good spot.”

Parks started two games for Clemson last season, before being shut down with an injury. He has 28 starts in his college career.

“And then Watson Young, another young scholarship player, that had torn his ACL,” Swinney said. “He hopefully will be ready to go once we get to the season.”

Young is a true freshman from Daniel High, which is just down the road from Clemson.

“Armon Mason, he’s got a stress fracture. So he’ll be out for spring,” Swinney said. “He’s a guy that, again, I hate it for him. Super excited about his opportunity. Got hurt in camp last year, and really hate that for him. Has battled back from that and now he’s got a little bit of a stress fracture. He’ll be out this spring but should be ready to go by the time we get to the season.”

Mason appeared in six games in 2022, before being sidelined all of last season.

“Tyler Brown had the foot surgery. He’s doing great,” Swinney said. “Not ready to go full-go yet but tracking in a good direction, and we do anticipate him getting some type of work at some point this spring.”

Brown appeared in 13 games, with nine starts as a true freshman in 2023. He caught 52 passes for 531 yards and four scores.

“Same thing with Corian Gipson,” Swinney said. “He’s the high school mid-year kid that tore his ACL at the beginning of the season last year out in Texas. He’s doing well. We anticipate him getting some position type stuff and just trending in a good direction. No live work this spring.”

Dabo Swinney continued with other players who are banged up.

“Jay Haynes, he’s coming back from a hamstring, not anything long-term. He’ll be back at some point,” Swinney said.

The redshirt freshman running back appeared in three games last season, rushing six times for 35 yards and a touchdown.

“Ronan O’Connell is another young man that had a little bit of surgery coming out of high school. So he’ll be limited as we go through spring ball. We do hope the second half of spring that he can get a little bit of work, as well,” Swinney said.

O’Connell is a freshman offensive lineman from Tennessee.

“And Branden Strozier is another guy who had surgery back in November that’s trending in the right direction, too. So those guys should all get back at some point,” Swinney said.

Strozier is a redshirt freshman cornerback who appeared in two games last season.

“Vic Burley, Ronan Hanafin, a couple of those guys are working their way back in, as well,” Swinney said. “Some guys that had some surgery at some point, either during the season or postseason. But other than that we’ll have most everybody out there and ready to go.”

Redshirt freshman receiver Noble Johnson will also be out this spring after getting injured in a car accident recently, per Swinney.