Jay Haynes entered August looking to finally put a long stretch of injuries behind him, but the Clemson running back has hit another bump in the road during fall camp.
Haynes did not take part in the Tigers’ first scrimmage on Saturday after getting injured during a practice earlier in the week. Head coach Dabo Swinney confirmed his absence afterward but indicated there is optimism that the senior could return soon.
“Jay wasn’t able to go,” Swinney said after the scrimmage on Saturday.
For Haynes, any injury update carries extra significance after everything he has dealt with over the past year and a half. His last game came in Clemson’s 2024 ACC Championship victory over SMU, when he suffered a torn ACL.
His recovery did not go as smoothly as initially hoped. Another setback ultimately wiped out his entire 2025 season, and he was still working his way back during spring practice.
That made the start of fall camp an encouraging development. Haynes was finally cleared for full participation and had been performing well before suffering his latest injury.
“He was having a great camp, then got banged up the other day,” Swinney added. “Hopefully we will get him back for the next one.”
The Tigers are set to hold their final scrimmage of fall camp on Thursday, and Haynes could potentially be back on the field by then.
Clemson would certainly like to see him available after such a long absence. Haynes has shown plenty of ability when healthy, averaging more than six yards per carry during his college career.
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He has totaled 330 rushing yards and four touchdowns on only 49 attempts while also contributing as a receiver with nine catches for 52 yards and a score.
Most of that production came during the 2024 season. Haynes appeared in 13 games that year, running for 295 yards and three touchdowns on 43 carries while catching seven passes for 32 yards.
The latest injury is another obstacle, but based on Swinney’s comments, Clemson appears hopeful that it will only be a short-term interruption rather than another extended absence.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Dabo Swinney on Clemson key running back missing Saturday’s scrimmage