CLEMSON, S.C. — Dabo Swinney says Clemson will be without one of its top defensive players when the fifth-ranked Tigers travel to Chestnut Hill, Mass., Saturday night to take on Boston College.
Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee will not make the trip with what is officially being called a non-football medical issue. Reports came out prior to last week’s game against NC State that Bresee was being held out due to kidney issues.
Clemson never officially confirmed those reports, but Swinney said in his postgame press conference that his junior defensive tackle had to go to the hospital last Tuesday and fortunately they received good news after several tests last Friday.
“He is not going to play this week. I can tell you that,” Swinney said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “He is doing really good. Really, really good. Everything is great, but they kind of have a protocol in place for him, so they are going to condition him this week.”
It has been a rough couple of weeks for Bresee and his family. They lost his 15-year-old sister Ella to an aggressive form of brain cancer on Sept. 15. They laid her to rest the Tuesday prior to the Wake Forest game and then they were all a part of an emotional double overtime win over the Demon Deacons on Sept. 24.
Bresee started his conditioning protocols on Monday. Swinney said the 6-foot-5, 305-pound defensive tackle is practicing this week, but the training staff has him doing cardio stuff, as well.
“He is great. He feels great, and, again, all of his numbers are where they need to be,” Swinney said. “But they just kind of want to push him this week. If everything goes well, as they anticipate, then they will get him back going next week.”
The Tigers (5-0, 3-0 ACC) take on Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla., on Oct. 15.
Bresee is not the only star defensive player Swinney had an update on. He said defensive end Xavier Thomas (foot) practiced last week and is practicing this week. Still, Swinney has no official update on when they might get Thomas back on the playing field.
“I know I have been saying it every week, he is right there,” the Clemson coach said. “He is right there. So, it is just Tuesday. So, today will be a big day and tomorrow. He was kind of day-to-day last week and didn’t really feel quite there. He is kind of right there. He is better now than he was last week.”
Thomas has not played this season. He broke his foot and had to have surgery around the second week of fall camp in August. He was expected the miss anywhere from 4-6 weeks, but it has taken longer for him to comeback than they originally thought.
“His foot has healed great and looks good, but he has been working on his conditioning a little bit, too. He is right there,” Swinney said.
