CLEMSON — For the first time, Dabo Swinney has Clemson double-dipping in the transfer portal.
Just a day after signing Southeast Missouri State receiver Tristan Smith, the Tigers earned a commitment on Dec. 19 from Purdue edge rusher Will Heldt.
Smith was the first non-backup quarterback Swinney had taken from the portal, and now Heldt is the first defensive player. The 6-foot-6, 265-pound sophomore had 56 tackles, including for loss, for the Boilermakers this season
Heldt, a native of Carmel, Ind., also had five sacks in 2024.
It’s possible Swinney doesn’t expand beyond two transfers this offseason, because wide receiver and defensive end were the only spots where scholarships were open.
Clemson lost receivers Noble Johnson (Arizona State) and Troy Stellato (undecided) to transfers out, and only one recruit, Carleton “Juju” Preston, was added via the 2025 recruiting cycle.
At defensive end, Clemson was originally slated to take Bryce Davis and Ari Watford as incoming freshmen, but Davis flipped to Duke.
“It’s not where we live, but when we have a need, and we can’t address it through the high school (recruiting), we fill our need (in the portal),” Swinney said during a Dec. 18 press conference, citing his program’s additions at backup quarterback in 2022 and 2023.
“Same thing, we’re looking at a guy at D-end because we had a kid decommit from us. If he hadn’t decommitted, we’d be done. But we had a kid decommit, so we needed to go get a guy.”
Swinney added that he feels like the Tigers are in a “good spot” otherwise, because they just don’t have a ton of spots opening up.
Running back Phil Mafah, tight end Jake Briningstool, and offensive guard Marcus Tate are the only senior starters departing from the offense. Defensively, Clemson is guaranteed to lose linebacker Barrett Carter, safety R.J. Mickens, and defensive tackle Payton Page.
There are also a few players who could make a jump to the NFL, including defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart, offensive tackle Blake Miller, and receiver Antonio Williams. But even so, the Tigers covered most of their anticipated losses with a 15-recruit signing class.
But things could change once the season ends. The transfer portal closes on Dec. 28, but players on teams that advance to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals and beyond get an extension on the deadline.
At this point, Clemson has only lost three players to transfer, including safety Sherrod Covil Jr., who just committed to Virginia Tech. The native of Chesapeake, Va., remained with the Tigers through the ACC title game.
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