Clemson wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. is fully back after the scary injury that prematurely ended his 2025 season.
Wesco shared positive news on the latest episode of Clemson Football’s 2 Right Turns podcast, which was released Monday, revealing he has been medically cleared and is ready to play for the 2026 season.
In last October’s game against SMU, Wesco suffered a back injury during a third-quarter punt return, in which he was flipped up in the air by an SMU defender and landed on his head. Though he got up and walked off the field, Wesco eventually left the game and was transported to a nearby hospital.
It was very serious. Though he was allowed to go home the next day, his season was over.
Luckily for Wesco, there were no fractures. However, he flew to Pittsburgh, Pa., to see Dr. David Okonkwo, one of the top neurosurgeons in the world, the same surgeon that performed Justyn Ross’s spinal fusion surgery in 2020.
On the 2 Right Turns episode, Wesco said he returned to Pittsburgh last month, and that is when he got the final clearance.
“I had a little busy summer at the beginning, traveling around,” Wesco said. “Last year, I had my injury. So, I had to go up to a doctor in Pittsburgh for like the surgery and everything. So, I was able to go up there in May and get cleared early May.”
Before spring practice began this past February, head coach Dabo Swinney said Wesco looked “amazing” and would do everything but be tackled during practices.
Wesco was on track for an all-conference-caliber season through six games as a sophomore before sustaining his injury in the seventh game of the year. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder caught 31 passes for 537 yards with a team-high six receiving touchdowns.
It was a lengthy road back to the field for Wesco, who is understandably very excited that his recovery is behind him and he’s full-go for fall camp.
“It’s a hard thing to do, sit on the sidelines and watch,” he said. “So, just going up there, doing rehab, everything I can. The injury itself, you can’t really do much to come back from it. You’ve just got to let time heal. And so the process from the doctors, everything was great. They were all great. And so just being able to go up there and get cleared – you know, I felt like I would, but just to have it finalized, it’s pretty exciting.
“I’m just so happy to be back with the team, going up against the defense. Just a different level.”
Wesco enters his junior season having recorded 72 receptions for 1,245 yards and 11 touchdowns over 19 career games, including 18 starts.
The All-ACC candidate gave a shoutout to his teammates for boosting his spirits, while staying connected to the team during the rehab process.
“Really just the people that I have around me at all times,” he said. “I got my teammates always around me. They really lift my spirits up at times.”