Clemson football suspended senior defensive tackle Vic Burley indefinitely after his Aug. 22 arrest on a disorderly conduct charge, removing a player who had been in the mix for snaps just as the season is about to begin.
Dabo Swinney said he was told earlier Saturday by the Clemson University Police Department that Burley had been arrested and that he had decided to keep him off the team for an indefinite period. The move lands with extra weight because Clemson is opening Sept. 5 against No. 11 LSU, and it comes while the Tigers are still sorting out a defensive front that Swinney had already called a huge unknown.
Burley, 6-foot-4 and 316 pounds, entered Clemson as a four-star recruit out of Warner Robins High School in Georgia and has spent much of his college career trying to work back into the picture. He missed his freshman season with knee injuries, then finished his sophomore year with nine tackles in eight games. Last season, he had 15 tackles and one start.
That background made him part of the competition at defensive tackle, a spot Clemson had been trying to settle through preseason camp. The Tigers held their final preseason scrimmage on Aug. 20, and Burley’s suspension two days later cut into a position group that was already under scrutiny.
Swinney did not spell out what led to the disorderly conduct charge, and that leaves the most basic question about the case unanswered. For now, the practical answer is clearer: Burley’s return is not tied to a date on the calendar, and his status for the opener and beyond will depend on how Clemson handles the suspension and what follows next.
