Clemson used its bye week to redraw a few lines on the depth chart, and the changes tell a clear story: the Tigers are leaning into fresh legs, positional flexibility and players who’ve already earned the staff’s trust.
The biggest shift comes up front on offense, where Easton Ware is now set to open at right guard. Offensive line coach Matt Luke said last week that the move was coming after Ware finished the game there and gave the group more athleticism inside.
“I think finishing the game with Easton Ware in there gave us a little bit more athleticism right there at right guard, and I think moving forward, that’s where it’ll start,” Luke told the media last Tuesday.
That change comes after Ronan O’Connell struggled at the spot, including a rough outing against Miami in Week 5. In that game, he posted a 0.0 pass-blocking PFF grade and gave up two pressures.
True freshman Grant Wise got the first crack at replacing him, but his stint was rocky too, as he allowed four pressures and two sacks over 30 snaps. Ware then entered late in the first half and finished the job, turning in an 85.5 pass-blocking grade while not allowing a single pressure.
“I’m super excited for the opportunity,” Ware said on Tuesday. “Originally, I was at right tackle, and I think Collin Sadler’s done a great job there. So I’m excited to fill in at right guard and do what I was coached to do.”
Clemson’s defensive front also got a shuffle, and not just in one spot. On the edge, Will Heldt remains the lone starter on one side, while fifth-year Jahiem Lawson has moved into a co-starter role with sophomore London Merritt, who had previously been listed behind him. Merritt, a Colorado transfer, has been productive over the past few weeks with eight tackles, two and a half tackles for loss, three pass deflections and a sack.
Inside, Darien Mayo is now listed as a co-starter with JUCO transfer Andy Burburija after spending most of his college career at defensive end. Dabo Swinney said the move has gone well through the past two games.
“Mayo’s been a good move. Again, we’ll see kind of where that goes as we evaluate every week based on performance and health and all that type of stuff because, obviously, he gives us some flexibility.
But he’s been good in there,” Swinney said. “I mean, for a guy that hadn’t really played there, he’s done a good job.
Very few missed assignments; smart kid; plays hard; he’s got length; he can extend; he can get off blocks. So that’s been a good thing for us.”
Third-year defensive tackle Champ Thompson has also climbed into a co-starter spot next to sophomore Amare Adams, with Swinney noting both players have an arrow up beside their names. Thompson has been building his role little by little this season, and now he has a bigger opportunity in front of him.
There’s also movement behind those starters, especially with Devarrick Woods. He was listed as one of three co-starters against Miami, but he barely played because he was still coming back from the injury that kept him out the week before against Cal. Swinney said the staff is still sorting out exactly where Woods stands heading into this week.
“Devarrick was a guy that was on the move for us, and then he got hurt. Missed the Cal trip; really couldn’t anchor like he wanted to in the last game,” he said on Tuesday.
“So this has been big for him; we’ll see where he is this week. We’re really gonna need him down the stretch.”
“I’m anxious to see him today and tomorrow because I know he wants to play. But I also know that I need him to - because this is the only year he’s got - but we need him to be as close to 100% as we can as we get back into conference play, so we’ll see how he does today or tomorrow.”
Vic Burley is also listed as a co-backup with Woods as he continues trying to reclaim a spot in the rotation after serving a suspension that lasted through Week 3 against North Carolina.
Another name to watch is West Georgia transfer Kourtney Kelly, who is expected to make his Clemson debut against Charleston Southern after tearing an ACL in spring camp.
“Getting Kourtney back is, again, a guy that I know we have high expectations for, but still hasn’t played,” Swinney finished. “But we know what we saw on this practice field. He’s got a high motor; he’s a relentless kid, so I think that’d help us.”
The final major change is at TIGER, where junior starter Corian Gipson is out for the rest of the 2026 season after the knee injury he suffered against No. 3 Miami in Week 5.
Sophomore Donovan Starr will now take over there. Starr, an Auburn transfer, has three tackles this season in limited action.
“He was kind of the next guy up, so. I’m not gonna say we’re 100% confident yet because he’s gotta go do it, but we’ve seen it on the practice field,” Swinney said.
“He’s a guy that’s been on the rise for a while. He’s played corner; he’s played nickel.
I think he’s a really good player.”
In Other News...
Gamecocks Fall Scrimmage Brought One New Outfield Concern
South Carolinas fall work at Segra Park brought plenty to like in an 8-2 scrimmage win over College of Charleston, especially the way the offense and pitching both looked early under first-year coach Kevin Schnall. Connor Shouse helped pace the lineup with three RBIs, then turned around and handled a scoreless ninth inning on the mound, while nine pitchers combined to strike out 17 batters in a performance that suggested the Gamecocks had some depth to evaluate.
The one unwelcome development came in the outfield, where Tyler Bak left the game with a shoulder injury. For a team still sorting through its fall picture, any setback in the outfield is worth watching closely, even in a scrimmage that otherwise offered encouraging signs on both sides of the ball. [Read more 🡒]