Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott will miss the College Football Playoff semifinal game against Ohio State on Friday after testing positive for COVID-19, coach Dabo Swinney told ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi on Wednesday.
Elliott, the Tigers’ offensive playcaller for the past six seasons, did not travel to New Orleans with the team for the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Swinney said Elliott, 41, did not have any symptoms and that he would be in communication via Zoom up until gametime.
“Just unfortunate that he’s out. We love Tony. The good news is he’s doing great,” Swinney told ESPN. “He doesn’t have any symptoms or anything like that. So wish he was with us but he’ll be with us in spirit.”
Swinney told ESPN that quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter will be upstairs in the coaches’ box to help handle Clemson’s offensive playcalling against the Buckeyes.
“Tony’s always been up and I’ve been down. We’ve kind of always done it together,” Swinney told ESPN. “We’ll put Street up and that’ll be the biggest difference. It’ll be Street and I. [C.J.] Spiller will handle the running backs on the field. That’s really it.”
A former wide receiver at Clemson, Elliott, 41, joined Swinney’s staff in 2011. He coached running backs for four seasons before moving into a co-offensive coordinator role with Jeff Scott. When Scott left to become South Florida’s head coach this season, Elliott moved into the sole coordinator role.
Clemson’s other offensive assistants include Streeter, offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell, tight ends coach Danny Pearman and wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham.
Credit: Source link