Clemson may have to open the 2026 season without one of the linemen it was counting on most.
Fifth-year offensive tackle Collin Sadler is questionable for Saturday’s game at No. 11 LSU, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. Sadler, who enters his final season with more than 1,000 snaps under his belt, was expected to start at right tackle.
That spot is new territory for Clemson. Blake Miller had been the Tigers’ four-year starter there since 2022, and with that job opening up, Swinney and his staff spent fall camp sorting through options. In the end, Sadler emerged as the choice to help keep quarterback Christopher Vizzina protected.
Swinney liked what he saw from the unit throughout camp.
“I think the first group’s been really good,” Swinney said. ”I’ve been really pleased with those guys.
I think we got some alphas in that group. I’ve been really pleased.”
Still, Sadler’s availability has always carried some uncertainty. The Inman, South Carolina, native has dealt with injuries during his Clemson career, and 2024 was especially difficult.
He appeared in just two games that season and started one. In 2025, he started nine games and played in 10.
If Sadler can’t go, Clemson’s next option at right tackle is redshirt freshman Easton Ware. That would be a major ask, because it would be his first start in a Clemson uniform.
Ware, a Lynchburg, Virginia, native, missed the entire 2025 season with a shoulder injury suffered in fall camp, which wiped out his first college season. A consensus four-star recruit in the 2025 class, he has stood out during his second offseason with the Tigers.
There’s also a little built-in familiarity there. Ware played with sophomore running back Gideon Davidson at Liberty Christian Academy for several seasons, and that connection could matter if Clemson leans on the run game. Offensive coordinator Chad Morris could look that way, especially if the Tigers want to settle things down up front.
For now, Clemson will be waiting on one more answer before kickoff. The update on Sadler is expected a couple of hours before the Tigers begin their 2026 season in one of the toughest environments in college football.
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