Just a week after the 2024 Transfer Portal cycle opened, Dabo Swinney and Clemson Football went against the grain and landed their first player out of the portal.
A few days after entering into the portal, head coach Swinney contacted Southeast Missouri State wide receiver Tristan Smith, who committed shortly thereafter his visit earlier today.
The FCS product is listed at six-foot-five, 205-pounds, making him the tallest skill position player on the Clemson Football offense.
Smith came out of the 2021 class unranked and decided to take the Junior College route, setting a foundation to pave his way to the next level.
Heading into the 2022 season, he committed to Hutchinson Community College located in Hutchinson, Kansas. In seventeen games played over the course of two seasons, he logged 231 yards and two touchdowns on just 16 receptions. While he didn’t erupt for the Blue Dragons in his two seasons, he showed a load of potential and had undeniably gifted genetics.
His production at the Junior Collegiate level led to him getting recruited by a handful of Division 1 programs, eventually committing to South East Missouri State, also known as SEMO.
The lengthy wideout proved how valuable he can be to a high-major football program in his junior campaign with the dominant FCS program as he recorded 934 yards and six touchdowns on 76 receptions. In 2024, he finished top 30 in FCS receiving yards and top 15 in receptions.
The Redhawks finished the regular season 9-3 but unfortunately fell in the first round of the FCS Football Championship to the Illinois State Redbirds. However, Smith still ended his year off in great fashion, accounting for 139 receiving yards and 10 receptions, including an 11-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The trio of Smith, Wesco, and Moore will be extremely interesting to see as Garrett Riley can add even more versatility to the offensive scheme. Last season, the junior receiver showed off his outstanding catch radius, ability to grab 50/50 balls and even his skill in getting yards after the catch.
