Clemson’s defensive tackle group took another hit Saturday when senior Vic Burley was suspended indefinitely after his arrest for disorderly conduct early in the morning.
Dabo Swinney said in a statement that he had been informed of the arrest by the Clemson University Police Department and moved quickly to remove Burley from the team.
"Earlier today, I was made aware of defensive tackle Vic Burley's arrest by the Clemson University Police Department for disorderly conduct early Saturday morning," Swinney said in a statement released Saturday. "I have made the decision to suspend Vic from our football team indefinitely. We are extremely disappointed by his actions and decisions."
The timing matters for a Clemson defense that already had serious questions in the middle of the line. Before preseason practice even started, Swinney called the defensive tackle room one of the biggest unknowns on the roster, and Burley’s absence only deepens that issue.
Burley entered the season with the most career FBS snaps among Clemson’s current defensive tackles, sitting at 257. The Tigers already lost their top three defensive tackles from last season to either the NFL Draft or the transfer portal, which had left Burley in position to play a larger role and compete for more in 2026.
Now, that path is suddenly unclear, and the suspension could open the door wider for transfer Andy Burburija. He arrived from Iowa Western Community College in June and was ranked the No. 15 junior college prospect by 247Sports.
Burley, a 6-foot-4, 316-pound former five-star recruit from Warner Robins, Georgia, missed his freshman season because of a knee injury. Over the last two seasons, he has played in 21 games, including all 13 last year, when he finished with 15 tackles and one start.
The suspension comes just after Swinney had praised Burley’s return to the field. Burley had recently come back to practice after an injury and stood out in Thursday’s scrimmage.
"I actually noticed Vic at least three times," Swinney said, according to 247Sports. "It was good seeing him out there."
Clemson will begin the 2026 season unranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2011. The Tigers open at No.
11 LSU on Sept. 5.
In Other News...
Jayden Daniels Finally Addressed The LSU Dispute As Week 1 Nears
Jayden Daniels finally got his first preseason snaps with the Washington Commanders in a loss to the Detroit Lions, a small but meaningful step as he shifts from camp work to game preparation. Even with the NFL spotlight starting to sharpen, Daniels has had one off-field issue lingering in the background: a legal dispute with LSU over the use of his name, image and likeness, tied to the school assigning his former jersey number to another player.
Daniels has now addressed the matter and, for the moment, his focus is where the Commanders need it most, on getting ready for the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. For LSU fans who followed his rise closely, the dispute adds another layer to a quarterback era that still resonates, even as Daniels moves deeper into his professional routine. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Running Back Battle Just Took A Turn Fans Didnt Expect
LSUs preseason camp has already started sorting out a few competition lines, and the running back room has been one of the most interesting to watch. Redshirt sophomore transfer Stacy Gage has been running ahead of junior Caden Durham on the depth chart, but a recent full-contact scrimmage reminded everyone that the picture is far from settled. Durham worked with the first team and broke off some significant runs, while Dilin Jones opened as the No. 1 back before leaving the scrimmage and not returning.
The bigger takeaway for LSU is that the Tigers are still testing combinations all over the field, not just at running back. The starting offensive line has been taking shape, the second team has seen movement, and even the defensive backfield is showing some tweaks, with Jhase Thomas getting work ahead of Tamarcus Cooley at safety. For a staff trying to build clarity before the opener, the backfield battle now looks like one of several places where camp could keep shifting right up until the final week. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Saban Just Reinforced Why LSU Recruiting Never Slows Down
Nick Sabans latest reminder of why Louisiana matters in football circles traces back to the early 1990s, when he was an assistant with the Cleveland Browns and Bill Belichick asked him to figure out which state produced the most NFL talent per capita. The answer, Saban said, was Louisiana, and that view of the state as a deep well of football ability helped shape why he later took the LSU job. He has long tied that kind of talent base to what made recruiting in Baton Rouge feel different from other stops in his coaching career.
For LSU, the broader point is simple: the pipeline never really shuts off. The Tigers have stayed in the top 10 of recruiting classes in recent years, and Sabans remarks only reinforce the idea that Louisiana gives the program a built-in edge before the work even starts. Even as coaching staffs change and the recruiting landscape keeps shifting, LSU continues to benefit from being in one of the countrys most productive talent pools. [Read more 🡒]