Clemson’s offensive line has leaned on youth this season, but the veteran in the group may not be done yet. Head coach Dabo Swinney said Tuesday that fifth-year lineman Collin Sadler is eligible for a medical redshirt next season, which could open the door for a sixth year in 2027.
“He’s got a medical, so he actually has a sixth year,” Swinney said. “So, he’ll be a guy that he’ll have to decide if he wants to do it. So, we’ll see.”
Swinney explained that Sadler’s case fits under the old college football rules, with players in his situation grandfathered in. Under that system, a player who redshirted and then lost another season to injury could receive a medical waiver. With redshirting gone, the current setup is basically five years in a five-year window, aside from rare exceptions like the chemotherapy Tigers defensive tackle Hevin Brown-Shuler has undergone over the past few months.
Sadler’s path at Clemson has been shaped by both opportunity and injury. The 6-foot-6, 310-pound lineman arrived as a four-star recruit in the 2022 class, joining a group that also included Jahiem Lawson, Caden Story, Trent Pearman and Kylon Griffin, among others.
His first season was a quiet one. As a true freshman, he played only 23 offensive snaps over three games while taking a redshirt.
The workload picked up fast in year two. Sadler became a co-starter at left guard and also backed up at left tackle, appearing in 13 games with five starts and logging 565 snaps. The production came with some rough edges, though, as he gave up 20 pressures and two sacks.
In 2024, injuries cut his season short. A calf injury against Appalachian State in Week 2 ended his run there, and he never made it back onto the field.
He was active for the Week 6 game against Florida State and the Week 8 matchup with Virginia, but did not play in either. After sitting out the next two weeks, Swinney later ruled him out for the year after major back surgery.
Sadler returned healthy last season and was a regular presence up front, starting nine of 10 games and playing nearly 600 offensive snaps. Even so, the results were uneven at both left and right guard, and he allowed a career-high 25 pressures and two sacks.
This year brought another change. Sadler moved from guard to tackle to help replace first-round draft pick Blake Miller, who had started at right tackle for the Tigers over the previous four seasons.
Sadler missed the opener at LSU with a minor injury, but he has started every game since. Through 557 offensive snaps at his new spot, he has allowed 22 pressures and a career-low four sacks, which makes this his toughest season to date.
Clemson and Sadler are back at Death Valley this weekend, where the Tigers will try to answer last season’s upset loss to Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. on The CW Network.
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