Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney met with the media Tuesday for his weekly press conference and indicated that freshman wide receiver Misun “Tink” Kelley will require surgery to fix an issue dating back to high school.
While no confirmation of when surgery may happen, Kelley will eventually need it. Swinney stated that the Clemson coaching staff has a good plan for the freshman wide receiver.
“He has something that he has kind of dealt with since high school that we need to get fixed,” Swinney said. “It is nothing long-term or anything like that. Something is going to have to happen. We got it set up to where we want him to be back for the off-season, January, spring training, and all of that stuff. We have a good plan.”
An issue may arise here, as Kelley saw action in the Syracuse game due to the Antonio Williams ankle injury that kept the star wide receiver sidelined. The NCAA allows freshmen to play in four games before redshirting, but the guidelines are specific, so the amount of play time Kelley can see is limited.
Plans can change, but Swinney is aware of Kelley’s playtime.
“He has a couple of more games. He actually got in (the Syracuse game) and was moving around pretty good. He had a really good practice last night, as a matter of fact. He was one of those guys last night that jumped out,” Swinney said. “He is another guy that I would put with Tyler Brown. He is a very mature kid. He is a baller. He is conscientious and can do so many things. He just has not had the opportunity yet. He played in a game, then he was out with an injury. Then we were going to hold him, and then with Antonio, we decided to go ahead and play him here or there, so we have a backup right there.”
Freshmen aren’t always immediate impact players, and a redshirt is sometimes the best thing for the player. Swinney is confident in Kelley and his future with the Tigers.
“I am super excited about Tink and what he will be able to do for us,” the Clemson head coach said. “He will be able to do some great things before he goes. The same thing (as Tyler Brown). He has a high level of maturity. He is a winner. The kid is a winner. We really, really like him.”
We now await the next update on the talented freshman.