Clemson fourth-year defensive tackle Vic Burley has been suspended indefinitely from the football team following an arrest early Saturday morning, head coach Dabo Swinney announced.
Burley was arrested by the Clemson University Police Department and charged with disorderly conduct. Swinney released a statement addressing the disciplinary action on Saturday afternoon following the team’s fall camp scrimmage.
“Earlier today, I was made aware of defensive tackle Vic Burley’s arrest by the Clemson University Police Department for disorderly conduct early Saturday morning,” Swinney said. “I have made the decision to suspend Vic from our football team indefinitely. We are extremely disappointed by his actions and decisions.”
Roster Impact and Defensive Line Depth
The disciplinary suspension further complicates Clemson’s interior defensive line rotation two weeks prior to the Tigers’ season opener against LSU on Sept. 5 in Baton Rouge.
Burley had previously been limited during August camp while working through an undisclosed injury, though Swinney noted he had logged several positive snaps during Thursday’s practice prior to Saturday’s incident.
With Burley sidelined, Clemson’s primary interior defensive tackle depth relies heavily on sophomore Amare Adams, Oklahoma transfer Markus Strong, and junior college transfer Andy Burburija. The program also recently cross-trained sixth-year veteran Dietrick Pennington at defensive tackle to shore up interior numbers following earlier season-ending injuries to Kourtney Kelly (ACL) and Hevin Brown-Shuler (Hodgkin lymphoma).
Career Overview and Background
Burley enrolled at Clemson in January 2023 as a consensus top-80 national recruit and five-star prospect out of Warner Robins High School in Georgia, where he was named the 5A Defensive Player of the Year.
After missing his freshman season due to knee injuries, Burley appeared in 21 career games with one start over the past two seasons, recording 24 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss across 267 defensive snaps. He made his first collegiate start against Penn State in last December’s Pinstripe Bowl and completed his undergraduate degree in sociology in May 2026.
