Report: Will Shipley questionable vs. Notre Dame, has 'path back' to play

One of the big questions for Clemson entering Saturday’s game against Notre Dame is the status of Will Shipley. The Tigers star running back left last week’s game against NC State with a concussion, and Dabo Swinney previously said he’s “day-to-day.”

Friday, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Shipley is “questionable” for Week 10, but Saturday morning will be important to figuring out his final status.

“With Clemson, there’s a huge injury storyline to be following going into this game,” Thamel said Friday on College Football Live. “Will Shipley, the star running back — and really, the most dynamic player on an offense that doesn’t have a lot of dynamic players — suffered a concussion last week. He’s been in protocol this week, and I’m told he’s questionable for this game. There is a path back for him to play. We likely won’t know until tomorrow morning what Will Shipley’s status is, but they’ll need him against the Irish.”

Shipley has been one of the biggest pieces of the Clemson offense this year, leading the Tigers with 515 rushing yards and adding 120 yards and two touchdowns in the passing game. Last week, he totaled 21 yards on six carries before leaving the game.

Swinney previously said it’ll come down to the team doctors to make the final determination on Shipley’s status against Notre Dame as Clemson looks to avoid falling under .500.

“The medical people gotta say he’s good to go,” Swinney said. “I mean, that’s really it. I don’t get involved in that stuff.

“They have protocols in place and metrics; they’ve got all kinds of stuff that you have to go through to be cleared to get back to play. So that’s where it is; what has to happen is they got to clear him, and that’s up to them.”

Clemson enters Saturday’s game as a home underdog against Notre Dame, which came in at No. 15 in the first College Football Playoff rankings. The Tigers are looking to avoid a three-game losing streak after back-to-back losses to Miami and NC State.

Swinney knows it won’t be an easy game, and he had some high praise for the Fighting Irish during his preparation.

“This is a really good football team. I think they’re the most complete team we’ve played,” Swinney said. “I know they’re not undefeated, but I think it’s the most complete team we’ve played. This is a really, really experienced team. Very, very experienced. A veteran group.”