Caleb Nix injury: Clemson HC Dabo Swinney gives an update on DB's torn ACL

Clemson Tigers safety Caleb Nix is best known for being the younger brother of former Oregon Ducks and now Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. He was a walk-on for the Tigers in 2022 and started in the 66-20 win against the Appalachian State Mountaineers in Week 2 of college football action.

After the game, it was discovered that Nix tore his ACL during the first play of the game. He played through the whole game because he did not understand the severity of his injury.

“He played the whole game with a torn ACL, on all the special teams – I’m talking covering kicks, the whole deal,” Dabo Swinney said in his postgame news conference. “He said he just felt like something wasn’t right, but he just kept playing and didn’t really say anything to anybody. He thought he just hyperextended his knee.”

During his weekly Zoom conference call with the media, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney revealed that Nix and linebacker Kobe McCloud, who also got injured against the Mountaineers, would be out for the rest of the season.

“Kobe, a very important player for us, and then Caleb Nix, a starter on all of our special teams and a backup safety guy for us,” Swinney said. “But just two great kids and you just hate it for those guys, so some other guys will have to step up in those roles."

“You just hate it for these guys because they put so much into it,” Swinney said. “But those of us that have played the game, you know that’s part of it, too.”

Caleb Nix had only played in eight games for the Tigers since he walked on in 2022 and the appearance against Appalachian State was his first start of the season. He did not play in the 34-3 mauling by the Georgia Bulldogs.

Caleb Nix switched from quarterback to safety

Caleb Nix was a quarterback star for Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama, where he played under his father Patrick Nix, who was also an Auburn Tigers quarterback. Caleb led his team to a 13-1 record and the Class 7A State championship game, earning him all-state honors for his stellar performances.

He was offered a scholarship by the UCF Knights and Troy Trojans. Chip Lindsey, who was Troy's head coach at the time of Caleb's offer, went on to recruit Bo Nix for the Auburn Tigers.