A Clemson defensive back who was in line for significant playing time on Saturday didn’t end up getting to see the field against Notre Dame, and he’ll be out of action for the rest of the season.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney shared during his press conference following the 31-23 victory over the Fighting Irish that sophomore safety Sherrod Covil Jr. tore his ACL in practice this week, and that redshirt freshman safety Kylon Griffin “didn’t know he was going to play till Thursday.”

“Covil tore his ACL. Three plays left in practice on scout team, he tears his ACL on Wednesday,” Swinney said. “He was going to be starting in our nickel package. So, scrambling around a little bit. Now Kylon Griffin… he hadn’t played much — he comes up with a big interception.”

It was the first career interception for Griffin, and it was a key play for the Tigers late in Saturday’s game. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder picked off Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman with around two minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Tigers leading by eight points.

A native of Montgomery, Ala., Griffin has appeared in seven games this season, recording nine total tackles (0.5 for loss) and the interception.

Covil, a former four-star prospect from Chesapeake, Va., tallied 10 tackles across Clemson’s previous eight games this season.

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