Clemson landed on the injury report in the worst possible week to have one. The Tigers open their season Saturday night at No. 11 LSU in Lane Kiffin's debut as head coach, and now they're sweating out the status of the guy who was supposed to anchor the right side of their offensive line.
Clemson projected starting right tackle Collin Sadler is questionable entering Saturday’s game at LSU, sources tell @On3. Injury Report: t.co/soYFY1E2S6
On3's Pete Nakos reported Collin Sadler is questionable entering the game, without further detail on the injury itself. Sadler, a fifth-year lineman with more than 1,000 career snaps, spent all of fall camp locking down the right tackle job and was Clemson's projected starter there heading into the opener.
This isn't new territory for Sadler. He's dealt with injuries throughout his Clemson career — most brutally in 2024, when he was limited to just two games (95 snaps, one start) before the year ended for him. He did manage nine starts in 10 appearances back in 2023, so when healthy, he's been a reliable piece up front. The uncertainty now is whether he's healthy enough to go against a defensive front that's stacked with transfer portal talent.
If Sadler can't answer the bell, Clemson turns to redshirt freshman Easton Ware, who would be making his first career start. Ware missed all of 2025 with a shoulder injury he suffered in fall camp, so this would be a lot to ask of him in his college debut — on the road, at night, in a building that's reportedly the most media-credentialed game in Tiger Stadium history.
The stakes go beyond one tackle spot. Clemson had to replace 3 starters on its offensive line this offseason, and Dabo Swinney has talked up how good the rebuilt group has looked in camp. Losing Sadler, even for a series or a half, tests that depth immediately against an LSU defensive front loaded with portal additions to complement Kiffin's first game running the show in Baton Rouge.
Expect Clemson to make the call close to kickoff rather than rule Sadler out early — that's usually how these questionable tags play out. Either way, whoever lines up at right tackle Saturday is about to get thrown into one of the loudest environments in the sport for a Week 1 test.