Tyler Brown injury update: Dabo Swinney offers latest on Clemson WR, addresses redshirt

It’s been a while since Clemson sophomore wideout Tyler Brown has seen game action. And while he might be close to returning — or being healthy enough to do so — the Tigers could be considering holding him out.

That’s because, having played in only four games to date, Brown is still eligible to redshirt this season and preserve the year of eligibility should he stay out for the remainder of Clemson’s games. It’s a consideration that’s a delicate balance for head coach Dabo Swinney, who would also like the benefit of adding Brown’s talent to the lineup, too.

“So that’s a decision — we’ll have to just see where we are as we finish up,” Swinney said. “We’ve got 18 days left in the season, so we just kind of have to see how it all plays out. It would be — it certainly would be great for him if we could, at this point, hold the year. But we just have to see how it all plays out. But he certainly will be available for postseason.”

Postseason games do not count toward a players four-game counter for redshirt purposes, so Brown could play in a bowl game, for instance, and not have it count toward his total.

And Brown is certainly a player who makes an impact when in the lineup. He played in 13 games for Clemson as a true freshman, hauling in 52 passes for 531 yards and four touchdowns.

This year, he played in four of the first five games before being out since early October, and mustered just five receptions as the Clemson offense struggled early.

Now, he could be back for the close of the regular season, but Swinney and Co. need to ask if that or preserving a year of eligibility is more valuable

“He’s a guy that probably could be ready, maybe next week,” Swinney said. “Certainly by the South Carolina game. But, he’s a guy we’ve kind of gotta make a decision on because he played four games. So we could try to get his year back if we can hold him.”