As the Clemson Tigers head back into ACC play against Virginia Tech this weekend, they'll be without a key depth piece on the offensive side of the ball.
Speaking during media availability on Wednesday, head coach Dabo Swinney announced that true freshman wideout Gordon Sellars III will miss the Week 8 contest vs. the Hokies due to a concussion he suffered in practice on Tuesday.
"Well, he had his best day yesterday, but he's gonna be out this weekend," he said. "He's got a concussion, so he'll be out unfortunately. But he had a great day; had a couple of good catches."
As we reported earlier this season, Sellars has been a standout, not just among the freshmen but among the receivers as a whole, taking over as the primary backup on the outside while sophomore Juju Preston fills the backup slot role.
It's an untimely setback for a freshman who has been trending up, and one that offensive coordinator Chad Morris says he saw coming back during the spring period.
"I thought, Gordo was a guy that came out of spring ball that I thought, 'Here we go,' and he dealt with some injuries in fall camp, and it kind of set him back," Morris said on Wednesday. "It was really good to see his speed. I thought he flashed."
Swinney shared a similar view, and the concussion is especially frustrating for a young talent who worked hard to come back from the hamstring injury Morris referenced during fall camp.
"You know, he's really kind of been that next guy, and that's really been since the spring," he finished. "He just kind of emerged, and then he pulled his hamstring in camp and has kind of been limited a good bit, but has been able to play some and kind of been working his way back."
As it stands, there's no clear timetable for Sellars' return, but true freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds will still have plenty of weapons in the Week 8 conference matchup, with Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore ready to get back on track.
Not to mention, junior tight end Christian Bentancur is coming off a career-high four catches for 74 yards against Charleston Southern in Week 7. So we'll see if Morris continues to open up the playbook for pass-catching outside of receivers.
Swinney and the Tigers are set to kick off from Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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