Clemson Tigers Injured Receiving Star Questionable for Louisville Game

The Clemson Tigers hope to have one of their top young wide receivers back for Saturday’s game with Louisville.

Sep 21, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. (12) before a game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Memorial Stadium. / Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers have been operating for the past few weeks without one of their top young weapons at wide receiver. They’re hoping that changes on Saturday against Louisville.

Per ESPN, true freshman wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. is questionable for the game after seeing his practice reps go up all week.

The Tigers (6-1, 5-0 in ACC) have considered Wesco day-to-day this week as they prepare for the first of their final three conference games. After Louisville, the Tigers go on the road for back-to-back Saturday games with Virginia Tech and Pitt, the latter of which also enters Saturday’s action undefeated in ACC action.

Wesco, per coach Dabo Swinney, rolled his ankle during the Florida State victory on Oct. 5. The following Saturday against Wake Forest he was a surprising scratch in the road game with the Demon Deacons and hasn’t played since.

Wesco, out of Midlothian, Texas, has emerged as a budding star for the Tigers at wide receiver. Before the injury, he caught 11 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns. Even in his absence, the Tigers have continued to win, as they carry a six-game winning streak into Saturday’s showdown with the Cardinals, which starts at 7:30 p.m. eastern on ESPN.

The Tigers’ offense has been one of the best in the country during the six-game winning streak and is led by quarterback Cade Klubnik. The junior has completed nearly 67% of his passes, thrown for 1,836 yards and tossed 20 touchdowns against just three interceptions. He’s also rushed for 227 yards and four touchdowns.

Without Wesco the passing game has leaned on veteran Antonio Williams. He enters this contest as the team’s leader with 28 receptions for 393 yards and five touchdowns.

Running back Phil Mafah has also had a great season with 682 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 105 carries. He has a 6.5 yards per carry average.

Wesco joined the Tigers after he was considered a consensus Top 35 player by all major recruiting services. The five-star player was ranked as high as No. 15 by PrepStar. He played in both the Under Armour All-America Game and the Polynesian Bowl before arriving at Clemson for fall workouts.

With Midlothian, he 109 career receptions for 1,903 yards, a 17.5-yard average per catch, and 29 touchdowns. In just seven games as a senior, he had 36 catches for 619 yards and 13 touchdowns. That was after a junior season in which he had 56 catches for 1,072 yards and 12 touchdowns.

He also competed in track, finishing fifth in the triple jump at the Texas 5A state meet in spring of 2023.