Clemson Loses Two Players for the Year With Season-Ending Knee Injuries

Clemson's two defensive players will be out for the remainder of the year after they suffered knee injuries in Week 2.

Clemson linebacker Kobe McCloud (21) during the first practice at Clemson, S.C. Friday, August 4, 2023. / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Clemson Tigers played incredibly well in their Week 2 win against Appalachian State, but they took a hit in the injury department.

Multiple players, including Peter Woods, Kobe McCloud, and Caleb Nix, were injured during the game. Head coach Dabo Swinney updated their statuses on Monday, sharing some disappointing news about McCloud and Nix.

According to Swinney, Woods will be day-to-day, but McCloud will be out for the remainder of the year. He's set to undergo knee surgery. Nix is also out for the season with a knee injury.

"Kobe is a very important player for us, and then Caleb, a starter on all of our special teams, and a backup safety guy for us. Just two great kids, and you just hate it for those guys," Swinney said, according to Austin Hannon of 247 Sports. "Some other guys will have to step up in those roles, but both of them will be out with knee injuries. Other than that, we're in pretty good shape. Open date will be very important for us to continue to build momentum, to continue to build our team."

McCloud, a backup linebacker, has seen action in his first two seasons with Clemson. He finished with 17 tackles in 2023, including a forced fumble. This year, he recorded one tackle.

It's an unfortunate situation for the former three-star prospect.

Nix, a former walk-on, helped Clemson on special teams. He didn't post any stats in the first two games of this campaign.

Hopefully, both of them get healthy, and this will be the end of the injuries for the Tigers.