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Clemson defensive lineman arrested, suspended from team
Clemson defensive tackle Vic Burley was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge and suspended indefinitely by coach Dabo Swinney. The arrest, detailed in a police report citing an impaired driver and a loaded gun, leaves the Tigers thin at defensive tackle with two weeks until the season opener at LSU.
Clemson defensive tackle Vic Burley was arrested early Saturday morning on a disorderly conduct charge and has been suspended from the football team indefinitely, coach Dabo Swinney announced. The arrest adds uncertainty to a Tigers defensive line that had already lost significant experience in the offseason.
The Clemson University Police Department arrested Burley, a senior, on Aug. 22, according to multiple reports. Swinney issued a statement confirming the suspension.
"Earlier today, I was made aware of defensive tackle Vic Burley's arrest by the Clemson University Police Department for disorderly conduct early Saturday morning," Swinney said in a statement quoted by multiple outlets. "I have made the decision to suspend Vic from our football team indefinitely. We are extremely disappointed by his actions and decisions."
The arrest report, cited by one outlet, said Burley was found in the driver's seat of a truck parked unevenly on Calhoun Drive on campus with the engine running. Officers reported detecting the odor of an alcoholic beverage and a strong odor of marijuana. According to the police report, Burley was asleep and did not respond when his door was opened, was unsteady on his feet, and spoke with slurred speech. A search found a THC vape pen and a Glock 19 handgun. Burley was booked and released the same Saturday after posting a $257.50 bond. The outlet noted that in South Carolina, disorderly conduct serves as a legal "catch-all" charge for police when they find a person in a grossly intoxicated condition on a public road.
A depleted position group
Burley, a former five-star recruit out of Warner Robins, Georgia, was expected to be a key contributor for the Tigers in 2026. He missed his freshman season due to a knee injury but has since appeared in 21 games over the past two seasons, including all 13 games last season, when he recorded 15 tackles and one start.
Burley's loss is compounded by the fact that Clemson lost its top three defensive tackles from last season to the NFL draft or transfer portal. Burley had the most career snaps among Clemson's current defensive tackles, with 257, according to one report. He was projected to have an increased role as a lynchpin on the defensive line.
Transfer Andy Burburija, the No. 15 junior college prospect by 247Sports, could see a larger role in Burley's absence. Other options mentioned included Markus Strong, DeVarrick Woods, and Kourtney Kelly, though Kelly tore his ACL in the spring.
Recent praise before the fall
The arrest came just days after Swinney had publicly praised Burley's return from injuries during fall camp.
"I actually noticed Vic today at least three times. All good stuff. It was good to see him out there," Swinney said after Thursday's scrimmage. That praise came less than 24 hours before the arrest, according to one report.
Looking ahead
Clemson opens the 2026 season at No. 11 LSU on Sept. 5. One report noted that Clemson is unranked in the AP Preseason Top 25 for the first time since 2011. The Tigers' defensive line will now have to prepare without one of its most experienced players.
How each outlet told it
CBS Sports
Framing: Emphasizes suspension and coach's 'extremely disappointed' reaction, with the timing of the arrest rather than details. — Measured, analytical; quote: 'We are extremely disappointed by his actions and decisions.'
Facts Included:
Vic Burley suspended indefinitely after arrest for disorderly conduct
Dabo Swinney statement quoted
Burley had most career FBS snaps among Clemson DTs (257)
Clemson lost top three DTs to NFL Draft/portal
Andy Burburija transfer from Iowa Western CC (No. 15 JUCO prospect)
Burley missed freshman season knee injury; played 21 games past two seasons; 15 tackles last season
Returned to practice and praised by Swinney after Thursday scrimmage
Clemson unranked in AP Preseason Top 25 first since 2011
Framing: Plain factual headline focuses on arrest and suspension, not on emotional reaction or roster impact. — Neutral, factual; no evaluative language.
Facts Included:
Arrest early Saturday morning for disorderly conduct
Indefinite suspension announced by Dabo Swinney
Quoted Swinney's statement in full
Burley enrolled in January 2023, fourth season
Missed freshman season with knee injuries
Played all 13 games last season and started once
Five-star recruit from Warner Robbins, Ga., No. 32 nationally No. 2 in Georgia
Signed over Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee
Rated to contribute after Peter Woods drafted first round and Stephiylan Green transferred to LSU
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimClemson senior defensive tackle Vic Burley was suspended indefinitely following his arrest early Saturday for disorderly conduct.
ClaimDabo Swinney said in a statement: "Earlier today, I was made aware of defensive tackle Vic Burley's arrest by the Clemson University Police Department for disorderly conduct early Saturday morning. I have made the decision to suspend Vic from our football team indefinitely. We are extremely disappointed by his actions and decisions."
ClaimVic Burley had recently returned to practice following an injury and made several plays during Clemson's scrimmage Thursday, earning praise from Dabo Swinney afterward.
ClaimVic Burley was expected to contribute on Clemson's interior line this season after Peter Woods was drafted in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft and Stephiylan Green transferred to LSU.
ClaimClemson added defensive tackle help through the transfer portal with Oklahoma's Markus Strong, junior-college transfer Andy Burburija, Texas State's DeVarrick Woods, and West Georgia's Kourtney Kelly.
ClaimAccording to the police report, Vic Burley was in the driver's seat of a truck parked unevenly on Calhoun Drive on Clemson's campus with the engine running.
ClaimIn South Carolina, public disorderly conduct acts as a legal catch-all charge that explicitly applies when police find a person in a grossly intoxicated condition on a public highway or road.