With Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins off to the NFL, Clemson knew it would need to replace a pair of All-Americans along the interior of its defensive line. The favorites to be their replacements, though, will be forced to delay staking an official claim to the spots.
Wednesday, Dabo Swinney revealed that Nyles Pinckney and Jordan Williams will be sidelined for the whole of spring practice after they each underwent surgery recently. The former had a slight tear in a pectoral muscle that required surgery, while the latter had a screw surgically implanted in one of his legs to repair unspecified damage.
According to the head coach, Williams suffered his injury playing basketball last month.
Both players are expected to be 100-percent healthy for the start of summer camp.
“The good news is both those guys got a ton of experience this year and really learned a lot,” Swinney said according to TigerNet.com. “And obviously had a great model in front of them with those guys as to what we got to do. I think they will provide great leadership. So that is the good news. They will be alright.”
Pinckney, a rising redshirt junior, played in 15 games during the Tigers’ run to their second national championship in three years, totaling 4.5 tackles for loss as part of the team’s line rotation. A rising redshirt sophomore, Williams was credited with three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 12 games.