Three Clemson football players could lose their scholarships. Here's why

Todd Shanesy
Greenville News

CLEMSON – The only downside of seven players unexpectedly returning to Clemson football to use their COVID redshirt extra year of eligibility from the 2020 season is that it’s created a roster crunch. 

Clemson has 88 players on scholarship and will need to have that down to 85 by the start of practice for the 2023 season. 

“That’s a problem,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Wednesday. “Roster management is hard. We’ve got a couple more years of COVID, I guess.” 

If necessary, Swinney said, he would have to take scholarships away from three former walk-ons. Junior running back Domonique Thomas, junior quarterback Hunter Helms and sophomore long-snapper Holden Caspersen were given scholarships last season, but those are awarded on a year-by-year basis. There are no guarantees for the future. 

“We’ve got three walk-ons on scholarship that we could take back if we had to,” Swinney said. “They came here as walk-ons. We certainly wouldn’t want to do that. … Those guys have earned it and they deserve it.” 

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Swinney, in a news conference introducing new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, joked that the Tigers might be way under the 85-limit after spring practice, which begins March 6 and concludes April 15 with the Orange and White Game at Memorial Stadium. 

“Who knows,” Swinney said. “In May, I might be at 65 scholarships. They may hate Garrett. I don’t know. 

“... That’s where we are today. It doesn’t really take much to put the math together. We’ll be at 85 by August. That’s where you’ve got to be. We dind’t lose anybody after spring ball last year. Hopefully, we don’t lose anybody this year. We’ve got a great roster.” 

That roster was boosted by the return of defensive linemen Xavier Thomas, Tyler Davis, Ruke Orhorhoro and Justin Mascoll as well as defensive backs Jalyn Phillips and Sheridan Jones and offensive lineman Will Putnam. 

“I’m thankful for that because we’ve got some great players coming back,” Swinney said. “I thought all those guys were gone. If you had told me back in the summer that Xavier Thomas and Mascoll and Ruke and Tyler Davis and JP were all coming back, I would’ve said, ‘What planet are you living on?’ ” 

Todd Shanesy covers Clemson athletics for the USA TODAY Network.