The Clemson Tigers will take the field at Yankee Stadium on December 27 to face Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl, but without 27 of their players. The shortfall, stemming from a perfect storm of injuries, NFL Draft opt-outs, and transfer portal departures, has gutted the 7–5 program’s roster heading into the noon kickoff on ABCs. Despite that head coach Dabo Swinney remained characteristically upbeat about his team’s chances while sharing the long list. 

17 of the 27 missing players are sidelined by injuries, while others have made business decisions about their football futures. “We’re not worried about who opted out. We’re focused on who opted in,” Swinney declared during his December 15 press conference. “It’s a long list, but nobody cares. It’s next man up. Excited to see these guys step up and go play, and man, I’m fired up.” But here’s the long list anyway:

• CB Avieon Terrell (NFL draft)
• DT Peter Woods (NFL draft)
• DT DeMonte Capehart (NFL draft)
• DE T.J. Parker (NFL draft)
• TE Ian Schieffelin (opt out)
• WR Antonio Williams (injury)
• WR Bryant Wesco Jr. (injury)
• TE Olsen Patt-Henry (injury)
• RB Jay Haynes (injury)
• RB Jarvis Green (injury)
• RB Peyton Streko (injury)
• OL Brayden Jacobs (injury)
• OL Elyjah Thurmon (injury)
• OL Walker Parks (injury)
• OL Collin Sadler (injury)
• OL Easton Ware (injury)
• DL Jahiem Lawson (injury)
• DL Armon Mason (injury)
• DT Amare Adams (injury)
• DT Makhi Williams-Lee (injury)
• LB Wade Woodaz (injury)
• LB Logan Anderson (injury)
• S Khalil Barnes (transfer)
• CB Shelton Lewis (transfer)
• LB Jamal Anderson (transfer)
• RB Keith Adams Jr. (transfer)
• LB Dee Crayton (transfer)

The biggest losses come from Clemson’s defensive front, where four players have declared for the 2026 NFL Draft and won’t suit up in New York. Junior defensive tackle Peter Woods, projected as a potential top-10 pick and ranked as high as No. 2 by CBS Sports, is opting out to prepare for the draft. He’s joined by fellow defensive linemen T.J. Parker and DeMonte Capehart, along with cornerback Avieon Terrell, the brother of Atlanta Falcons All-Pro A.J. Terrell. 

Woods had a career year with 30 tackles and earned first-team All-ACC honors. Both he and Terrell were recently named AP All-Americans. Receiver Antonio Williams was also expected to declare, but he will miss the bowl with a shoulder injury that’s kept him sidelined anyway.​

But the most unique opt-out belongs to tight end Ian Schieffelin. Schieffelin is hanging up his football cleats to return to the basketball court. The former All-ACC basketball forward played just one season of football after exhausting his hoops eligibility. He recorded only two catches for 10 yards across eight games. 

“It didn’t pan out the way I had hoped, and that’s something Coach Swinney and I discussed before the season—that if this didn’t turn out to be what I wanted, I could always return to basketball,” Schieffelin explained on social media. The 6-foot-4 forward, who was the ACC’s most improved player in 2023-24 and helped Clemson reach the Elite Eight, made it clear the decision was necessary for his basketball future.​

The injury list is extensive, with starting linebacker Wade Woodaz among the hardest-hit losses. Woodaz suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery while making a tackle on South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers during the rivalry game. It ended his collegiate career. 

The senior had been a defensive anchor with 70 total tackles this season and 201 for his career. Starting wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. has been out since October after suffering a spinal contusion on a punt return against SMU. It was a frightening injury that ended his season after he was flipped and landed on his head. The Tigers are also without four running backs, five offensive linemen, and multiple defensive linemen due to various injuries.​

The transfer portal claimed five more players, including starting safety Khalil Barnes, who announced his departure after three productive seasons. Barnes, who recorded 139 career tackles and seven interceptions, will attract interest from major programs.

Linebacker Jamal Anderson, linebacker Dee Crayton, running back Keith Adams Jr., and cornerback Shelton Lewis also entered the portal.

Despite this unprecedented long list of absences, Swinney believes Clemson can extend its FBS-record 14-game postseason winning streak. Because, well, there’s genuine excitement bubbling underneath about what these younger guys can do heading into the showdown at Yankee Stadium.​​

Young blood gets its shot

Redshirt freshman Ronan O’Connell is getting the nod at left guard. He will step into a starting role after playing just 42 snaps across five games this season. The Franklin, Tennessee, native has been grinding away in practice for two years, soaking up knowledge from veterans like Blake Miller. And Miller, who’s making his 42nd career start in what will be his Clemson swan song, couldn’t be more confident in his younger teammate. “I have all the faith in the world in Ronan,” Miller told reporters Wednesday, praising O’Connell’s eagerness to learn and ability to take feedback. 

With five offensive linemen unavailable, Dabo Swinney gets an extended audition period to see who can handle the big stage. Miller seems genuinely pumped to watch O’Connell’s development pay off. He said that the youngster “approaches practice with the right mindset” and “understands what we’re trying to accomplish offensively.”

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That endorsement from a 40-game Ironman carries serious weight. All will show against the mighty Penn State with Matt Campbell at the helm. It will surely be an exciting matchup.