It’s the dawn of a new age for Dabo Swinney and Clemson football, who got immersed in the transfer portal this cycle to gear up for the 2025 season.
The Tigers have landed three transfers for Clemson’s 2025 roster so far: Southeast Missouri State wide receiver Tristan Smith, Purdue defensive lineman Will Heldt and Alabama linebacker Jeremiah Alexander. These additions are more than what they have taken in the previous six years of the portal’s existence (two).
Swinney was criticized for his lack of portal use last season as the Tigers were one of four FBS schools (Navy, Army, Air Force) to not add a transfer. Their inability to add a transfer, despite pursuing four offensive linemen last year, came after they missed the CFP for a third straight season after making it from 2015-20.
Still, Swinney remained adamant last season that he wasn’t against the portal, and the team’s use of it was determined by how many spots are available rather than making players leave to add transfers. He backed up his words during this year’s window after Clemson added a small 2025 recruiting class and five reserve players departed in the portal.
Clemson landed Smith, its first non-quarterback skill position transfer, after backup wide receivers Troy Stellato and Noble Johnson entered the portal. Smith, 6-foot-5, will add depth to the Tigers’ receiver room and has one year of eligibility remaining.
The Tigers added Heldt next, beating out LSU and Texas A&M for the Purdue player. They had seven decommitments in their high school recruiting, including four-star edge rusher Bryce Davis, and needed someone to play opposite of the team’s leading sack leader, T.J. Parker. As a result, they landed Heldt, who recorded five sacks last season and has two years of eligibility left.
Then, Clemson landed Alexander, a former five-star recruit the Tigers missed out on during high school recruiting, after defensive end A.J. Hoffler entered the portal. Alexander, who has two years of eligibility remaining, spent three seasons with Alabama in a limited role and eyed a fresh start and bigger role. Clemson landed him over Auburn, Ole Miss and Oklahoma.
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These signees are huge because they showed Clemson can compete with premiere schools for some of college football’s top talent. Swinney added transfers who can contribute right away as opposed to the reserve quarterbacks he landed in Hunter Johnson (2022) and Paul Tyson (2023).
The next piece of the puzzle for Clemson is finding a new defensive coordinator after it fired Wes Goodwin after three seasons. Clemson’s defense regressed last season after a string of dominant years by the unit, but whoever lands the job will have an experienced roster that has added immediate contributors.
Clemson ended its CFP drought this season after winning the ACC championship but fell to Texas in the first round. The Tigers return every end-of-year starter who has eligibility remaining next season, including quarterback Cade Klubnik.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

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