Clemson Suffers Major Blow with Vic Burley Arrest, Suspension
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Standout Clemson defensive tackle Vic Burley was arrested by the Clemson University Police Department on Saturday morning for disorderly conduct.
The situation is a major blow to the Tigers' defense, coming just two weeks before the 2026 campaign gets underway.
Head coach Dabo Swinney released a statement on the situation, announcing that Burley has been suspended from the team indefinitely.
"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. I have made the decision to suspend Vic from our football team indefinitely. We are extremely disappointed by his actions and decisions."
Burley was entering his fourth season with the Clemson program. The 6-foot-4, 315-pound senior arrived in 2023 as the highest-ranked member of the Tigers' recruiting class after earning five-star status. However, he wasn't able to get his footing within the program as the injury bug hit.
His freshman campaign was cut short by knee injuries, leading to the decision to take a redshirt. In the following two seasons, he appeared in 21 games (one start), recording 24 tackles.
In 2025, the former top-80 prospect played a heightened role in Clemson's defense, logging a career-high 175 snaps and finishing with 15 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, and a pass breakup. Burley made his first career start in January's 22-10 loss to Penn State in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl in New York.
Burley was projected by many to have an increased role as a lynchpin on the defensive line heading into 2026. He'd been battling through injuries during fall camp, but caught Swinney's eye during Friday's scrimmage inside Memorial Stadium.
"I actually noticed Vic today at least three times," Swinney said that day. "All good stuff. It was good to see him out there."
Instead, especially with LSU looming with two weeks to go, Clemson will have to rely on other defensive tackle to help to aid the effort.
The Tigers got help through the transfer portal with Oklahoma defensive tackle Markus Strong, junior-college transfer Andy Burburija and Texas State run-stopper DeVarrick Woods. West Georgia transfer Kourtney Kelly is also among the mix, but a torn ACL in the spring will limit him throughout the regular season.
Clemson Tigers On SI will continue to monitor this situation as it develops.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/clemson as Clemson Suffers Major Blow with Vic Burley Arrest, Suspension.
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