Clemson defensive tackle Vic Burley has been suspended indefinitely from the football program following an arrest early Saturday morning.
Head coach Dabo Swinney announced the suspension Saturday after learning Burley had been arrested by the Clemson University Police Department for disorderly conduct.
“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,” Swinney said.
The suspension comes at a critical point in Burley’s Clemson career and just two weeks before the Tigers are scheduled to open the 2026 season at LSU on Sept. 5.
Burley, a 6-foot-4, 320-pound defensive tackle from Warner Robins, Ga., entered the fall as one of the veterans Clemson was counting on to take a significant step forward along an otherwise largely unproven interior defensive line.
Defensive coordinator Tom Allen pointed specifically to Burley and Champ Thompson this summer when discussing players Clemson needed to make progress at defensive tackle, saying, “Vic Burley and Champ Thompson, those guys taking that next step,” before calling defensive tackle “a critical group for us.”
Availability, however, had again become an issue for Burley early in fall camp. He was spotted working in a yellow jersey, continuing a career in which injuries have limited the former highly regarded prospect’s opportunities to establish himself as a consistent contributor.
Burley played in all 13 games for Clemson last season but made only one start and logged 175 defensive snaps. He finished the year with 15 tackles, a half-tackle for loss, one pass breakup and two quarterback pressures.
His indefinite suspension creates another question for a defensive tackle room Clemson was already working to solidify ahead of the season.
— Swanny
