The Clemson Pinstripe Bowl team will barely resemble the group that closed the regular season with a rivalry win over South Carolina. Head coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers enter the bowl game shorthanded and exposed as the scope of their losses came into focus this week. What remains is a roster stripped down to availability and resolve. 

“Clemson will be down 27 players due to injuries and opt-outs with starting LB Wade Woodaz being one of them,” Clemson beat writer Derrian Carter wrote on X on December 17. “He suffered his injury against South Carolina tackling QB LaNorris Sellers.”

Twelve of those players were on the field less than a month ago against South Carolina, including eight starters. And one of the most damaging blows came on a single tackle.

Senior LB Wade Woodaz will miss the Pinstripe Bowl after suffering a wrist injury while tackling LaNorris Sellers. Dabo Swinney confirmed he required surgery following the rivalry game. Video from practice showed Woodaz with his arm in a cast, ending any speculation about availability. For Clemson, his absence leaves big questions unanswered. 

Wade Woodaz has been a stabilizing presence for two seasons. In 2025, he ranked second on the team with 77 total tackles, added 7.5 tackles for loss, and consistently impacted passing lanes with four breakups. His final game against South Carolina included seven tackles and a pass breakup, one of his sharper performances this season. Over four years, he compiled 202 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and four forced fumbles. But he is only part of a broader personnel crisis. 

Dabo Swinney said that 17 of the 27 unavailable players are sidelined due to injuries or surgeries, several sustained late in the season. Five players are entering the transfer portal, including safety Khalil Barnes and linebackers Jamal Anderson and Dee Crayton. Four others opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft, among them defensive linemen Peter Woods, T.J. Parker, and DeMonte Capehart, plus cornerback Avieon Terrell. 

The head coach didn’t hide the strain. He acknowledged that Clemson’s lack of depth “puts a strain on everybody,” while also repeating his familiar stance on bowl adversity. 

“Guess what? Nobody cares. It’s next man up,” he said. 

History suggests Clemson has dealt with this before. The Tigers navigated high-profile opt-outs in recent bowls, including Myles Murphy in 2022 and multiple defenders in 2023. 

Still, Clemson will not arrive without leadership. QB Cade Klubnik is expected to play, as is RB Adam Randall. More importantly, DE Will Heldt was on the practice field Monday and participating. At a time when Clemson’s defensive line has been hollowed out by opt-outs, his presence changes the floor of the unit. And then, quietly, that availability turned into something more consequential.

Will Heldt delivers a Dabo Swinney message for Clemson

Will Heldt will return to Clemson for his senior season in 2026, choosing not to enter the NFL Draft, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. He signed a revenue-sharing deal to remain with the program, a decision confirmed by his agency. For the Tigers, this is validation at a volatile moment.

Heldt arrived from Purdue with options, including visits to LSU and Texas A&M, and immediately became Clemson’s most consistent edge rusher. He led the team with 7.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss, ranking among the ACC’s top defenders in both categories. He added 38 tackles, forced a fumble, and broke up two passes. 

His reasoning was direct. Will Heldt pointed to Dabo Swinney’s track record and championship resume as his primary motivation. 

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“I think just looking at the track record of this program and coach Swinney, it speaks for itself,” he said. “The guy wins championships. That’s what he does. So, I think that’s my first pitch.”

Clemson’s recent seasons have tested that pitch, but the history remains intact. Two national titles, nine ACC championships, and seven CFP appearances under Dabo Swinney. Heldt’s return reinforces that belief internally and externally. 

Will Heldt will also play in the Pinstripe Bowl, eliminating any ambiguity about short-term commitment. That matters against a Penn State team dealing with its own opt-outs and an interim coaching situation. The betting line has already reflected the instability on both sidelines, swinging from Penn State favored to Clemson by more than four points. On December 27 at Yankee Stadium, it will be about who remains, who stepped away, and who chose to stay.