Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney had high praise for true freshman offensive lineman Grant Wise after Clemson’s 18-13 victory at Syracuse on Saturday.

Wise stepped in at center, making his first career start due to an ankle injury that kept normal starter Harris Sewell out of action.

The 6-foot-4, 300-pound first-year player drew a strong shoutout from his head coach for his poise under pressure.

Swinney emphasized the tough circumstances Wise faced, taking on the starting role in a hostile road environment.

“I can’t say enough about Grant Wise,” Swinney said. “He competed his butt off. It’s a true freshman coming on the road, playing center in an environment like this. It’s really, really loud, and I’m really proud of him and how he managed the game.”

Swinney was also pleased with how sophomore Gavin Blanchard performed while filling in for regular starting left guard Elyjah Thurmon, who was sidelined due to a concussion.

Swinney added that he was really proud of how Wise, as well as Blanchard, handled the complex pre-snap demands.

“Same thing with Gavin, stepping up. I’m sure when we watch the tape, they weren’t perfect,” Swinney said. “But to come up here and compete like they did and have to manage all the snap count and the cadence and all the stuff that they do, moving and their pressures, I’m really proud of those guys. I thought they did an awesome job stepping up.”

Wise was the centerpiece of a young offensive line that included Blanchard, sophomore right guard Easton Ware and sophomore left tackle Brayden Jacobs.

Despite playing with several sidelined offensive starters across multiple positions, Wise helped pave the way for Clemson’s rushing attack to record 162 yards, average 4.8 yards per carry and help quarterback Tait Reynolds seal the game on the ground in the waning moments of the contest.

“Again, a true freshman center out there leading the way,” Swinney said of Wise. “I’m proud of him.”

A stout lineman who was a Florida state Olympic lifting champion at Pace (Fla.) High School, Wise enrolled at Clemson back in January, arriving to Tigertown as a consensus four-star prospect. He was listed as the No. 241 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class by 247Sports, which ranked him as the nation’s No. 15 interior offensive lineman and No. 31 prospect in the Sunshine State.

Clemson leaned on Wise and fellow youth up front to help secure a road win for the second straight week and reach bowl eligibility with a 6-3 record, including a 4-2 mark in ACC play.

The Tigers return home next Saturday to host Georgia Tech at Memorial Stadium (12:30 p.m., The CW).