Clemson dealing with COVID-19 impacts, down three players ahead of Cheez-It Bowl
Clemson starting wide receiver E.J. Williams is in COVID-19 protocol and will miss Wednesday’s Cheez-It Bowl against Iowa State.
Williams is one of two players who are out with the virus, and another player is in quarantine due to contact tracing, head coach Dabo Swinney revealed during a Tuesday press conference. The other two Tigers weren’t named.
A little over an hour prior to kickoff, safety Nolan Turner, who was seen wearing a boot on the field pregame, offensive lineman Mason Trotter and cornerback Nate Wiggins were listed as unavailable in addition to Williams, per an email from Clemson.
“Just when I thought we were getting a break,” Swinney said, a reference to the Tigers’ 2021 season in which upwards of 25 to 30 starters or contributors have missed time because of injury or COVID-related reasons.
Williams had nine catches for 66 yards in eight games played this season while struggling to stay healthy. He suffered a thumb injury early in September, then a knee injury a month later.
With Williams out, the Tigers are down multiple receivers for the game. Frank Ladson and Ajou Ajou entered the transfer portal a week after the regular season ended, and Justyn Ross had season-ending surgery to fix a stress fracture in his foot. Joseph Ngata missed the final three games of the regular season with a foot injury but is expected to be healthy enough to play in the bowl game.
According to the team’s official depth chart, Will Brown will replace Williams as a starter. Ngata and Beaux Collins round out the team’s starting wide receivers.
“We’ve had seven scholarship receivers out the last two games, so we’re beyond that now,” Swinney said about handling depth issues at receiver. “Just roll with it. We’re experienced at not having guys. There’s really nothing we can do, get the next guys ready.”
While the Tigers will be down three players, they still have enough to play Iowa State. That hasn’t been the case for many teams across the country. Within the ACC alone, Virginia, Miami and Boston College all had their bowl games canceled due to either their program or their opponent having issues with COVID-19. Hours before NC State’s game on Tuesday, the Wolfpack’s Holiday Bowl contest was canceled due to UCLA having too many players in COVID-19 protocol.
“Your heart hurts for all those people, the teams,” Swinney said. “It’s an enormous amount of preparation that goes into getting ready for a football game, especially when you have this amount of time and all the things that you’ve got to balance and plan for and do.”
Coaching compliments
Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell made the list of coaches with whom Swinney keeps up. The Tigers’ head coach complimented what Campbell has done with the Cyclones’ program, calling the latter a “coach of substance.”
“I’m not sure of the history of Iowa State, but I know what he’s done since he’s been there has put Ames, Iowa on the map,” Swinney said. “To be able to go into a place that really hasn’t won at the level that he’s won and do it, there’s something unique there.”
Campbell echoed the sentiments, saying he has the utmost respect for Swinney and how he’s built the Tigers’ football program.
“That part, for me, is a great honor to be able to compete — our team and our program — against this great Clemson program and what he’s been able to build,” Campbell said.
Keeping Reed
With Clemson undergoing coaching staff changes, most of the personnel stayed in place, though moved around in their roles. Cornerbacks coach Mike Reed added “special teams coordinator” to his job responsibilities a couple weeks ago and acknowledged that while opportunities to leave come every year, he wants to stay at Clemson.
“For me, it was a no-brainer,” Reed said about remaining with the Tigers. “I love my kids. When I say ‘my kids,’ I mean my players. They are like family, so when those opportunities come, you have got to look at it as, hey, do you want to leave these kids? And, I’m not ready to leave my kids.”
While he doesn’t want to leave, two of those football kids are ready to fly the proverbial coop in Andrew Booth and Mario Goodrich. While Booth hasn’t officially announced whether or not he’ll return to Clemson for his senior season, he’s considered a first-round NFL Draft pick by multiple outlets. Goodrich, who accepted an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, is projected to go in the later rounds.
Andrew Mukuba has shown signs of following in their footsteps after a standout debut season with the Tigers. He became the first true freshman defensive back to start a season opener for Clemson, according to records that date back to 1973, and was named the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year.
“It’s a developmental program, and to see them grab a hold of a lot of things that we try to teach them, and for them to use them every day, it’s great,” Reed said. “It’s like a newborn child. You see them crawl and see them walk and see them take their first steps and run, it’s a great feeling. These guys deserve it. They have put in the work, and now it’s coming to fruition.”
When is Clemson’s bowl game?
Who: Clemson (9-3) vs. Iowa State (7-5)
Where: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
When: 5:45 p.m. Wednesday
TV: ESPN
This story was originally published December 28, 2021 at 9:39 AM.
