CLEMSON — With Clemson facing some depth issues at defensive tackle, Darien Mayo moved inside for the Tigers’ 24-10 win at Cal.

Mayo made his first career start against the Bears, logging 40 snaps and finishing with four tackles and a fourth-down pass breakup.

Transfer defensive tackles Markus Strong, Kourtney Kelly and Devarrick Woods were all out for the Cal game. Strong is out for the season after suffering an injury in the season opener. Kelly has yet to play while recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the spring. Woods’ injury is more recent, and he may, or may not, be back in time for this Saturday’s game against Miami. Hevin Brown-Shuler is also out for the season.

With the room taking that kind of hit, the team needed help, and Mayo moving inside provided it. During his weekly press conference, Dabo Swinney said the move could be permanent.

“We’ll see. I mean, it was a good move for us for that game, and just again trying to create some depth,” the head coach said. “Long term, that’s probably where he’s going to end up. Probably in a three-four type of scheme.”

Coming out of high school, Mayo was one of the Top 150 players in his class, according to multiple recruiting services. At the same time, he was still a little raw and needed some polishing.

Now in his third season with the program, the 6-foot-7, 270-pounder is starting to round into form.

Coming into 2026, Mayo had logged less than 100 snaps total. This season, he’s already surpassed that number, having been on the field for 129 snaps already. After not only the way he played in the win over Cal, but also the effort he’s putting forth in practice, expect Mayo to continue to get opportunities.

“He’s a big, big body. Active, tall, tough, football smart — he really is,” Swinney added. “Had one missed assignment in practice — two days. He’s just a really smart kid. Understands the big picture of the team. He was a bright spot for us.”

Photo courtesy of Bart Boatwright