Clemson football and the NCAA transfer portal are not well acquainted with one another. That could very well change between now and the start of the 2025 season.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, in a recent media session, opened the door for Clemson to finally be serious players in the realm of transfer portal acquisitions, and it goes without saying that the Tigers will have several areas where the program could benefit from a few veteran additions. Here is a look at several positions that Coach Swinney and Clemson football may target in the transfer portal.
Linebacker
The linebacker position is arguably the one position group where Clemson needs to add depth and talent. It is already a thin room to begin with, with outgoing transfers and injuries leading to attrition that has left defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin scrambling at times. The trio of Barrett Carter, Wade Woodaz, and freshman Sammy Brown are as good as they come, but Carter is a senior and Woodaz a junior. There are other young players, such as redshirt sophomore Kobe McCloud, but he has only played in 15 games over three seasons at Clemson with 18 total tackles. The Tigers need linebackers, and the transfer portal might be just the place to get a couple.
Running back
Offensively, running back is the biggest question mark Clemson football will face entering the 2025 season. Phil Mafah has accounted for over 90 percent of the carries by Tiger running backs this season and he is out of eligibility. Jay Haynes has shown flashes, but the coaching staff hasn’t allowed him to have a more prominent role in the offense, so Haynes is still a relative unknown. Incoming freshman Gideon Davidson is a blue-chip prospect and a star in waiting, but with so many unknowns at the position, a talented back from the transfer portal would be a smart move by Dabo Swinney and Garrett Riley.
Defensive back and safety
While I would not necessarily classify Clemson as weak or thin in the secondary, they aren’t loaded to the hilt with depth, either. Aveion Terrell is slated to return in 2025 along with Ashton Hampton and Khalil Barnes at safety. That is a great foundation. But the Tigers’ 2025 recruiting class suffered seven decommitments, the majority of who were either defensive backs or safeties. Again, depth is incredibly important when it comes to warding off attrition and you can never have too much talent.
Until Clemson football can land a few more blue chippers for the secondary on the recruiting trail, it would be wise to supplement the talent pool with one or two good ones from the transfer portal, too.
Wide receiver
By no means is Clemson hurting at the wide receiver position. Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco, and T.J. Moore are all back next season and will combine to form one of the more lethal wideout trios in the country. But, behind those three stars, again, depth could come into play. Troy Stellato has already left the team and is entering the transfer portal, and there are several other reserve receivers on the roster that very well could test the waters, too. I would like to see the Tigers add a playmaker or two that will allow Cade Klubnik and the offense to stress defenses even more.
At the end of the day, until Dabo Swinney decides to go all in on using the transfer portal, speculating about who and what the Tigers need is merely conjecture. But there is no time like the present to join the rest of the college football party. Clemson football has the talent and many of the needed pieces to be a top five team now. All that needs to be done is connect the dots.
What To Know About Clemson’s 2025 Recruiting Class | College Football, National Signing Day
Swinney and his staff were able to make some late additions to the 2025 recruiting class in the 11th hour before the early signing day that helped offset some of the decommits. But maybe now the Tigers are finally ready to make the transfer portal their friend.
