'He’s a Guy We’re Counting On': Burley Steps Into the Spotlight for Defensive Line
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Opportunity doesn’t always arrive quietly. Sometimes, it crashes through a position room, clearing out proven production and leaving behind a single, unmistakable message.
Step up.
That was the reality facing Clemson defensive tackle Vic Burley this spring.
With Peter Woods and Demonte Capehart off to the NFL Draft and Stephilyan Green transferring to LSU, Clemson’s defensive interior lost not just depth, but experience and identity. What remained was a largely unproven group.
On Saturday inside Death Valley, Burley responded.
The former Georgia AAAAA Defensive Player of the Year delivered his most productive performance in a Clemson uniform during the Orange and White Spring Game, recording three tackles and 2.5 of the Orange team's nine sacks.
It was the type of performance head coach Dabo Swinney, defensive coordinator Tom Allen, and defensive tackles coach Nick Eason needed to see from the redshirt junior.
“Just how I do every day,” Burley stated Saturday, when asked how he would respond to Swinney's challenge to him.“It’s just me versus me. I love my teammates to death. And with the new additions that we brought in, it really challenged me to step my game up because it’s competition in the room.”
Despite Burley entering spring as the most experienced returning defensive tackle, logging 15 tackles, 0.5 for loss, and a pass breakup across 175 snaps last season, Clemson aggressively retooled the room. Transfers Markus Strong (Oklahoma) and Kourtney Kelly (West Georgia) arrived in the fall, while Iowa Western Community College standout Andy Burburija (a first-team NJCAA All-American) is set to join the program next season.
Strong and Kelly, who suffered an ACL injury, made early impressions this spring.
“Markus Strong and Kourtney Kelly, they came in, ‘hey, I didn’t come here to take a back seat. I came here to work,’” Burley said. “And that pushed me to play harder.”
That internal edge showed up in his squad's 23-3 victory.
Lining up alongside Strong, Burley flashed the kind of explosiveness Clemson has been waiting to see since he arrived on campus.
More importantly, it reflected growth.
Throughout the spring, Eason emphasized a merit-based approach — equal reps, consistent grading, and a clear expectation that production would dictate opportunity.
“Competition was high and I appreciate it because it made me better,” Burley said.
Swinney saw that progress firsthand Saturday and didn’t mince words about what it means moving forward.
“He showed up a couple of times today,” Swinney said. “He’s a guy we’re counting on. If he don’t do it, it ain’t nobody’s fault but his. Because he can. Ain’t nobody can stop him but him. And if he stays out of his own way and does what he needs to do — because Nick [has] certainly given him everything he needs.”
It’s both a challenge and a vote of confidence from the two-time national championship coach.
And while Saturday’s performance offered a glimpse of what Burley can be, the work, in his mind, is far from finished.
With Burburija still set to arrive and competition only intensifying, Burley’s focus remains internal, on consistency, discipline, and eliminating the small things that can derail progress.
He summed it up with a familiar message, echoing his version of a quote from Swinney that is often attributed to the late great Muhammad Ali.
“At first, we got to climb the mountain,” Burley said. “But you can’t climb nowhere if you still got the pebble in your shoe.”
Burley’s emergence may determine just how high the Tigers can climb in 2026.
