Clemson is getting defensive tackle Vic Burley back, but not quite yet for this week’s game.
Coach Dabo Swinney said Burley has been reinstated after his suspension following an August arrest, and that the third-year lineman will be available for Clemson’s ACC opener against North Carolina on Sept. 19 at home. He won’t play in the home opener against Georgia Southern on Sept. 12.
“We brought him back today,” Swinney said on the “Tiger Hour” radio show on Sept. 7.
Burley had been suspended indefinitely after being arrested on Aug. 22 for public disorderly conduct. According to a report from Clemson University Police, he was arrested because he was impaired and planning to drive his vehicle after being found lying on the grass beside a running truck on Calhoun Drive around 2:15 a.m.
Court records in Pickens County show Burley pleaded guilty and received a conditional discharge on Aug. 26.
The charge can be dismissed and potentially expunged if he pays a $150 fine, completes 24 hours of community service, finishes a drug and alcohol course, and completes Clemson’s IMPACTed intervention program by Feb. 22, 2027.
He also has to remain under court supervision.
If he doesn’t complete those requirements, Burley faces the maximum sentence for public disorderly conduct: a $257.50 fine or 30 days in jail.
Swinney’s initial statement on Aug. 22 ended with, “We are extremely disappointed by his actions and decisions.” Burley later apologized in a statement on social media on Aug. 26.
The timing matters for Clemson’s defensive front. Burley is back in his third season with the Tigers and has 15 total tackles in 21 games with one start.
He’s returning to a unit that needs help after Clemson was pushed around in a 51-10 loss to LSU on Sept. 5.
The Tigers may need every available body up front, because Markus Strong is likely done for the season. Swinney said the Oklahoma transfer suffered a lower-leg injury in the third quarter against LSU and probably won’t play again this year.
“Strong is probably gonna be done for the year, unfortunately,” Swinney said on “Tiger Hour.” “He was our one big injury.”
Strong had one tackle against LSU before going down. He played 14 games for Oklahoma from 2023-25 and recorded 10 tackles and three sacks.
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