Dabo Swinney has confirmed one of his offensive linemen will be back for a sixth season in 2026.

Fifth-year senior Dietrick Pennington will be back in 2026. Swinney confirmed the news during Friday’s  Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl Zoom call.

Pennington, a four-star talent coming out of high school, signed with Clemson as a member of the 2021 recruiting class. After appearing in one game and redshirting during his debut season, Pennington was limited to just three games in 2022 before getting into eight contests during the 2023 campaign.

An injury limited him to just two games last season, making him eligible for a medical waiver.

While the 6-foot-5, 355-pound player has yet to start a game during his career, he has appeared in all 12 contests this season and has played a key role in short-yardage situations. With Collin Sadler set to miss the Pinstripe Bowl with an injury, Pennington was listed as the starting left guard on the Tigers’ depth chart released last week ahead of the matchup against Penn State.

Photo by Bart Boatwright