Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney called his shot.

And Bryant Wesco Jr. delivered in a big way — coming full circle in the process.

Swinney said earlier this week that he thought Wesco was “really close” to breaking a big punt return. Swinney also added that based on what they saw on film, he thought the Tigers would “have some opportunities” in the return game against the Golden Bears.

Boy, was Swinney right.

Wesco provided a game-changing play in Friday night’s game against Cal at Cal’s Memorial Stadium, getting loose for a 65-yard punt return touchdown with 3:57 left in the third quarter of the Tigers’ 24-10 victory.

It’s the first punt return touchdown of Wesco’s career, and it gave the Tigers (3-1, 2-0 ACC) a 17-10 lead – a lead they would not relinquish en route to the victory over the Golden Bears (2-2, 1-1).

“The big play in the game, the big momentum play in the game, was the punt return,” Swinney said.

“Man, he hit it,” Swinney added. “And he’s been close. Wesco has had some moments where you just could see, like, it’s coming.”

According to Ross Taylor, Clemson’s Associate Athletic Director for Football Communications & Strategic Initiatives, it marked Clemson’s first punt return touchdown since Amari Rodgers on Nov. 10, 2018 against Boston College — a span of 2,876 days.

Swinney noted that 2018 was obviously a great year for the Tigers — when they won their most recent national championship.

“Big plays just create a ton of energy — whether it’s defense, offense, special teams, any time you get a big play,” Swinney said. “That’s the first punt return for a touchdown since ’18. … ’18 was a pretty good year, too, so maybe that’s a good sign for us.”

Swinney must feel validated after Wesco proved his head coach right. And for Wesco, it’s a full-circle moment and the culmination of a long road to recovery.

Eleven months ago, Wesco suffered a scary injury during a punt return on Oct. 18 of last season against SMU, cutting his sophomore season short.

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, and though he was allowed to go home the next day, his season was over prematurely. Luckily for Wesco, there were no fractures.

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. It was a lengthy road back to the field for Wesco, who had surgery in November, getting the procedure performed by a leading neurosurgeon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Following a lengthy rehabilitation process, Wesco was officially and fully medically cleared in May and returned at 100% capacity for Clemson’s 2026 football season.

Clemson and Swinney are certainly happy to have Wesco back on the field. His game-breaking playmaking ability was a difference-maker in Friday’s win.

The Tigers return to the field next Saturday, Oct. 3, when they host Miami at Memorial Stadium in Clemson.

—photo courtesy of Clemson Athletics Communications