Clemson’s 2026 roster has already started to take shape, and two of the more notable tweaks involve a quarterback and a veteran offensive lineman.
Former Tigers QB Chris Denson is now listed as a wide receiver on Clemson’s 2026 online roster page, while sixth-year offensive lineman Dietrick Pennington has been moved to “defensive tackle/offensive lineman.” Pennington also made a jersey change, going from No. 59 to No. 91.
The switch for Denson had been building for a while. After Clemson’s spring game, Dabo Swinney said the dual-threat quarterback could move to another spot to better use his athleticism. That possibility became more real after Denson dropped behind Christopher Vizzina and Tait Reynolds in the battle for Clemson’s 2026 starting quarterback job.
Denson has been open to the change, and he’d already been taking reps at wide receiver during 2026 fall camp. Swinney said he’d been “encouraged” by how the sophomore has handled the transition.
The staff has also left the door open for Denson to show up in more than one role. Swinney and offensive coordinator Chad Morris have said he could take snaps at running back, receiver and/or quarterback, with the quarterback usage likely coming in a wildcat or rushing package. Denson, listed at 6-2 and 195 pounds, has added muscle and looks noticeably bigger.
“If we can just keep him back rolling in the direction he’s in, I think he’s certainly a guy that that can get in the mix,” Swinney said of Denson on Aug. 15.
Pennington’s move gives Clemson another option on the other side of the ball without fully removing him from the offensive line picture. At 6-5 and 355 pounds, the sixth-year senior now carries a DT/OL label, reflecting a new path as he heads into his final season.
He’s got experience doing a little bit of everything. Pennington played both offensive and defensive line in high school and was a two-way starter on a state championship team as a senior at Evangelical (Tenn.)
Christian School. He also played basketball and ran track, which fits the kind of athletic profile Clemson is leaning on here even though he’s the heaviest player on the 2026 roster.
Across his Clemson career, Pennington has played in 27 games with zero starts and logged 121 offensive snaps. Injuries have shortened two of his five seasons.
The timing makes sense for Clemson, too. The Tigers are thin at defensive tackle, with Hevin Brown-Shuler out for 2026 while recovering from a Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis and transfer Kourtney Kelly still working back from a torn ACL. Pennington’s new role could give him a clearer path onto the field.
Denson and Pennington are the latest Clemson players to shift or add positions on the 2026 roster. Safety Ronan Hanafin and defensive back Misun “Tink” Kelley, both of whom came in as wide receivers, are also among the Tigers with new or expanded roles.
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