Dabo Swinney looks like he is finally going to use the transfer portal to acquire legitimate talent for the Clemson football roster. With the Tigers taking that leap into the modern realm of college football, the question looms as to what the biggest needs are for Clemson football and how might a Dabo Swinney approach to the portal look like.
Clemson got things started on Sunday, hosting massive defensive end Will Heldt, previously of the Purdue Boilermakers. At 6’6″ and 265 pounds, Heldt is an enormous edge roster that would bolster the Tigers’ defensive line. Heldt was a starter and major impact player for Purdue in 2024, and Dabo Swinney would be thrilled to land him.
This is not to say that Clemson wants to take in double digit numbers from the portal, but with its smallest recruiting class in over 15 years thanks to seven decommitments, Clemson football is in a place where it almost has to use the portal to bolster its 2025 roster. Locking in Heldt would be a tremendous step in that direction for Dabo Swinney and the rest of the defensive staff.
At other positions, linebacker is one of great need. Clemson and Dabo Swinney have always put a lot of emphasis on the linebacker position, but with the looming departure of Barrett Carter who is out of eligibility and heading for the NFL, the room will have little depth without an addition or two from the portal. Clemson is in good shape with Sammy Brown and Wade Woodaz projected to start next season, potentially alongside Kobe McCloud, but outside of that there are big question marks.
Wide receiver is another position in which Clemson could look to bring in a couple of pieces. Dabo Swinney has a plethora of talent already with the electric trio of Antonio Williams, T.J. Moore, and Bryant Wesco, but with Troy Stellato and Noble Johnson already transferring, the Tigers could stand to make an impactful addition to that group. Cole Turner should also return, adding to that depth, but you can never have too many playmakers.
And then the elephant in the room. Running back. Could Dabo Swinney and the Tigers look to take one running back from the portal? The approach here will be interesting to see. Heading into the play-offs Clemson is razor thin at running back with Phil Mafah not 100 percent healthy, Jay Haynes out injured, and an untested duo of Keith Adams Jr. and David Eziomume looking to get carries against Texas. Five-star prospect Gideon Davidson is on his way in, so that should lighten the need, but the Tigers may look to take a running back anyway.
You can never have too much talent. And with the NCAA changing its rules to allow 105 players on teams’ rosters, and with the aforementioned small signing class, it is probably imperative that, finally, Dabo Swinney and Clemson look to the transfer portal. Not in the sense of rebuilding an entire roster, but to bolster the talented one the Tigers already possess. But it is exciting times for fans as they finally see the program looking externally for veteran players.
Certainly, advancing deep in the play-offs would make Clemson an even more attracting landing spot for potential transfers, and one ESPN analyst has even surprisingly picked the Tigers to win it all.
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At the end of the day, Dabo Swinney and Clemson football will never be a program to complete load up from the transfer portal, but it does seem as if Swinney has lightened his approach and is now willing to make bigger splashes than in the past by targeting high impact scholarship players who are looking for a new home. The coming weeks will be interesting as the Tigers assess their needs and act accordingly. But Swinney’s willingness to use the portal in earnest should be exciting for Clemson fans everywhere.
