Dabo Swinney's options vs Carson Beck if two Clemson secondary starters miss Georgia game
CLEMSON — Clemson football may be in danger defensively.
Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said his team is healthy "for the most part" entering No. 14 Clemson's opener against No. 1 Georgia on Saturday (noon ET, ABC) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Yet, Swinney, who won't reveal his initial depth chart, was cautiously optimistic about two of his most experienced cornerbacks, Shelton Lewis and Jeadyn Lukus.
"Good to go, until you hear otherwise," Swinney said. "Everybody's day to day."
If those Clemson cornerbacks can't go, Swinney will have to rely on redshirt freshman Branden Strozier and freshmen Ashton Hampton, Corian Gipson and Tavoy Feagin to play alongside Avieon Terrell.
It isn't unfamiliar territory for the Tigers. They have played 20 or more freshmen since the creation of the four-game redshirt rule prior to the 2018 season. Last year, six true freshmen appeared in every game, including Terrell and Lewis.
Still, Saturday's game would be all four players' first meaningful game in college and it would come against Georgia, a team that has won two national championships and only lost two games over the past three seasons. Quarterback Carson Beck could become Georgia's first Heisman winner since Herschel Walker in 1982.
"It's a good young group," Swinney said earlier in August. "They just got to keep coming on because we're going to need them."
Here's why Hampton and Gipson can step up vs. Georgia if Lewis or Lukus are inactive.
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Get to know Clemson cornerback Ashton Hampton
Swinney said Hampton, 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, doesn't look like a freshman. Despite enrolling in the summer, the defensive back's physical skill sets has translated on the field.
"Physically, he already looks the part, but he competes," linebacker Barrett Carter said. "He could be beat by a couple of steps, but he has that speed and length."
Hampton showed the motor to have a Day 1 impact at Florida State University School in Tallahassee, Florida. He played cornerback, safety and wide receiver to help his school win a state championship in 2023.
Hampton's high school coach, Jarrod Hickman, said the two-way player took over games last year. One game that stood out was in the state semifinals when Hampton scored two receiving touchdowns and recorded four pass deflections, including a crucial pass breakup in the fourth quarter, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
"The bigger the moment got, the better he was," Hickman said. "The moment was never too big for him."
Hampton's dad, Alonzo, is the coach at Arkansas Pine Bluff, and his brother, A.J., played defensive back at Northwestern (2018-22) and Tulane (2023).
Get to know Clemson cornerback Corian Gipson
Gipson, who enrolled in January, tore his ACL in his second game of his senior year in high school. He participated in individual and team drills in the spring but could not play. His high school coach, Leon Paul, said he watched film and learned the playbook while rehabbing.
When the 6-1, 187-pound freshman returned to his hometown, Lancaster, Texas, in the summer, he participated in one-on-one drills with current and former Lancaster football wide receivers after being cleared to practice. Paul said Gipson went up against receivers who play for Boise State and Akron and committed to Oklahoma and only allowed three catches over 40 reps.
Gipson's outing inspired Paul to call Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed and say, "He's back."
"He's always practicing to become a starter, and he expects to play early," Paul said. "He's not gonna give himself any excuses as to why he can't play early, and that's one thing I love about him."
Earlier this month, Swinney said Gipson is still building his confidence after the ACL injury. If the freshman has gotten reacclimated, he will showcase his speed too.
Gipson ran track in high school, running a sub 11.00 in the 100 meters.
"You thought Nate Wiggins was fast? Wait until you see that joker run," Reed said.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football: Dabo Swinney options vs Georgia if two starters out
