Clemson loses another starter for the rest of the 2026 season

· Yahoo Sports

Clemson’s secondary, after being talked about for the last few weeks, has just taken a big hit.

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Head coach Dabo Swinney announced that starting nickelback Corian Gipson will miss the remainder of the season for Clemson after suffering a meniscus injury that requires surgery.

“That’s a big, big loss for us,” . "I really hate that for him, as he had just gotten back. " Swinney said.

Gipson had just returned to the lineup against Miami after missing Clemson’s victory over California. He recorded five tackles, one forced fumble, and one pass breakup across 35 defensive snaps in the Tigers’ 41-13 loss.

Gipson nearly created a turnover when he punched the ball away from Miami quarterback Darian Mensah at the goal line, although Mensah recovered it in the end zone. He later broke up a third-down pass near Clemson’s goal line to force the Hurricanes to settle for a field goal.

Swinney said safety Ronan Hanafin will receive more work at the Tiger position, Clemson’s version of a nickelback. Auburn transfer Donovan Starr is also expected to take on a larger role, while senior Branden Strozier provides another experienced option.

Ashton Hampton could become a matchup-specific solution as well. If an upcoming opponent features a premium slot receiver that Tom Allen wants shut down, the Clemson defensive coordinator could move Clemson’s top corner inside and assign him directly to the premium option.

Clemson has multiple candidates to replace Gipson, but none provides an obvious one-for-one replacement for the speed he brought to the position.

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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson loses another starter for the rest of the 2026 season

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