It took long enough, but Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney may finally be adapting to the current landscape of college football.
On Monday evening, Clemson made history by landing JUCO wide receiver Tristan Smith out of Southeast Missouri State, marking the Tigers’ first-ever transfer portal acquisition of a skill position player under Swinney.
Clemson has been notoriously inactive in the transfer portal era, with Swinney preferring to rely on high school recruiting and internal development. The only other portal additions during his tenure were two reserve quarterbacks—Paul Tyson from Arizona State in 2023 and Hunter Johnson from Northwestern in 2022—neither of whom played significant roles, according to Chapel Fowler.
While adding a JUCO wide receiver might not make national headlines compared to splash moves other ACC programs have made, Smith’s production and potential make him a solid addition to Clemson’s offense.
Smith, who played the 2023 season at Southeast Missouri State (SEMO), hauled in 76 receptions for 934 yards and six touchdowns. His standout performance came in a first-round FCS playoff matchup against Illinois State, where he recorded 10 catches for 139 yards and a touchdown.
Before SEMO, Smith spent two seasons at Hutchinson Community College. As a freshman in 2022, he played in seven games, finishing with two catches for 91 yards and a touchdown. The following season, he improved with 14 receptions for 140 yards and a touchdown across 10 games, according to On3
Leave a Reply