Former Clemson Tigers Star Going To Be Sidelined After Being Placed on IR in NFL

A former Clemson Tigers star defender is headed to the injured reserve in the NFL.

Oct 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins (94) celebrates his sack in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers have consistently had one of the better defenses in the nation under head coach Dabo Swinney. With that comes several players emerging as draft prospects and continuing their careers as pros.

One of those standouts from recent years is defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.

Selected No. 13 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, the former Clemson star played the first five seasons of his career in South Beach. This past offseason, he cashed in as a free agent.

He signed a massive four-year, $110 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, taking full advantage of what has been a robust defensive tackle market in recent years. It was a contract he earned after recording a career-high 9.0 sacks in 2023, with 10 tackles for loss and 23 quarterback hits.

Per PFF, he also had the ninth most pressures by a defensive tackle and the fifth-most sacks.

Through the first five games of his Raiders career, Wilkins had been getting the job done once again. He had 2.0 sacks with two tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, and seven combined pressures.

Unfortunately, he is going to miss a minimum of four weeks of play.

On Wednesday, Las Vegas placed him on injured reserve, which means will be sidelined for at least four games. He is undergoing surgery for a Jones fracture that he suffered this past weekend playing against the Denver Broncos., per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Christian Wilkins has now been placed on Injured Reserve. https://t.co/5k2or05jsL

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 9, 2024

He was ruled out for the game right before halftime, as the Raiders have a massive hole to now fill along their defensive line. Wilkins has been one of the most productive players at his position since joining the NFL and will be difficult to replace.

Jonah Laulu and Nesta Jade Silvera are two options who could see more playing time in his place. John Jenkins could also see an increase in his snaps to help compensate for the loss of such a talented player.

In 86 career games, he has racked up 22.5 sacks with 45 tackles for loss and 56 quarterback hits. He is a playmaker in both the running game and has taken his pass-rushing abilities to another level.