CLEMSON — Prior to the start of the 2023 football season, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney did not really want to comment on whether or not the Tigers would have wide receiver Troy Stellato in the mix.

He was someone, at the moment, they did know if they could count on.

After missing most of his first two seasons at Clemson, due to injuries, Stellato suffered a severe hamstring injury prior to fall camp. Once again, he was on the sideline when the Tigers kicked off the season at Duke.

However, he was finally cleared to play in Week 2 and in his first action in over two years, the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native caught five passes for 51 yards in Clemson’s win over Charleston Southern.

“Now you can see why he was worth the wait,” Swinney said afterwards.

Though he suffered a couple of bumps and bruises along the way, Stellato went onto play in each of the Tigers’ final 12 games, including six starts. He did not have an All-American or All-ACC season, but he began to shine his potential in a receiving corps that is looking for consistent play.

His 38 catches ranked tied for third on the team, while his 321 yards ranked fourth.

Stellato really came on down the stretch, as he closed out the season with seven receptions at NC State, six against North Carolina and four against Kentucky, including a couple of big catches that sparked Clemson scoring drives.

“I feel like I had some good games throughout the year,” Stellato said following the Tigers’ Gator Bowl win over Kentucky. “I definitely was able to get the ball down the field a lot more, which I was happy about. I feel like (the Gator Bowl) was one of my best games for sure.”

The redshirt sophomore finished the Gator Bowl with four catches for 42 yards.

“Nothing he does surprises me. I’m really proud of him, and I’m just happy for him,” Swinney said about Stellato earlier in the year. “The kid has been on ice for two years, and that’s really hard when you’re a great football player and a highly recruited guy and for two years, you got all these issues. So, it’s really cool, and sometimes a guy just needs a little bit of success, and man, it’s just like throwing fuel on the fire. It’s been really good to see.”

Like the team, Stellato hopes his success can carry over into the off-season and propel him into an even better season next year. Though he took some shots in the Gator Bowl, he said he was okay, and he can’t wait to get back and start working for next season.

“I feel good,” he said. “I took some shots, but I have instilled some toughness and fighting to the end. I am a little banged up and I could definitely use some off-season for sure, but it was a good way to finish.”