The 2025 offseason has hit Clemson hard. With key departures like Cade Klubnik, Peter Woods, Wade Woodaz, Adam Randall, Ricardo Jones, and Stephiylan Green, the Tigers have holes to fill across the roster. Bryant Wesco’s future remains uncertain as negotiations continue.
For Clemson to stay competitive in 2026 and make noise in Baton Rouge against Lane Kiffin, Dabo Swinney and his staff must be aggressive in the Clemson transfer portal this offseason. To break down where the Tigers need help most, I’m using the Scoville Heat Index (SHI) to rank each position from Mild all the way up to Off The Charts.
I started writing this on January 3rd, and concluded on January 7th. The portal moves quick. So et’s get into it.
Offense
Quarterbacks
Vezzina hasn’t impressed me enough yet. He enters 2026 having completed 64 of 105 passed for 596 yards with four touchdowns and one interception playing in a backup role to Cade Klubnik. C.V. deserves the benefit of the doubt however. The SMU game, his first start of his career was what I would label as just good enough… He became the first Clemson quarterback to throw three or more touchdown passes in his starting debut since Deshaun Watson’s six-touchdown performance in his first career start against North Carolina in 2014, and his 317 passing yards were the fifth-most by a Clemson quarterback making his starting debut since 1953.
Tait Reynolds and Chris Denson are worthy nominees to shoot out for the position as well, I personally favor the latter for next season, the former long term. But all of that aside, Clemson has other positions they MUST worry about more, Clemson has to fight the right battles first. I’m willing to take a dice roll at QB in a room of Reynolds, C.V. and Denson for a year if its means that other issues are properly addressed.
SHI Rating – Medium.
Wide Receivers
Nothing much to talk about in my eyes here. T.J. Moore as I’m writing this has gotten his pay day as a Tiger and the loss of Bryant Wesco Jr. would hurt, but isn’t expected. Tristan Smith continues to fight his NCAA fifth year-eligibility battle as well. I liked watching the film on our three new wide receivers we have coming in as well, I don’t see Dabo going into the portal looking for a receiver.
SHI Rating – Mild
Tight-Ends
Same goes for here.
Olson-Patt Henry suffered a season-ending patella tendon injury against Furman in November, but until that point he looked solid. He’s a complete tight end who enters 2026 having supplemented his contributions in the running game with 28 career receptions for 289 yards with three touchdowns in 730 offensive snaps over 31 career games (11 starts).
Christian Bentancur is a solid option to have as well. Dabo lauded him for his progression as well,” He’s just a worker,”. “I come in here today at 1:30, and he’s out there jamming to music, running 100-yard sprints and walk-backs by himself. That’s just who Christian is. Definitely glad he’s a Tiger.”
SHI Ranking – Mild
Offensive Line
I think Matt Luke has a successful future in hold for him but standing around on the O is something we can’t do. I like our young guys, I really do, but we barely broke top 100 with the run game and stunk on third down conversions. For me, two starters would be the sweet spot but if we can get more that would be much appreciated.
SHI Ranking – Super Hot
Running Backs
Chad Morris x Gideon Davidson is a combo Clemson Fans are excited to see how it pans out. If the Offensive Line is anywhere in the good – elite range I can see a breakout season coming for another young star in Clemson’s program.
SHI Ranking – Mild
Defense
Defensive End / Defensive Tackle
If someone came up to me on campus and said “describe Clemson’s season” I would point them right to our defensive line. A lot of bark and prestige, no bite. Will Heldt is HUGE to have back but we need more. We need as many additions on this line as possible and quick. Who knew what we were once strongest in would be our weakest link.
SHI Ranking – Off The Charts
Linebacker
Safety
As I’m finishing up the edits on this article standout LB Luke Ferrelli has signed with us. A huge acquisition to replace Wade Woodaz, Ferrelli (6-3, 220) is ranked as the No. 15 linebacker in the portal by On3, also coming in at No. 232 overall.but we still need some depth. The tandem of Luke Ferelli and Sammy Brown is elite but Jeremiah Alexander and Kobe Mccloud isn’t enough of a comfort ground at replacement. I would love if we could bring one more into this core.
SHI Ranking – Medium
This was #2 on my big board before the singings, It was soft, showed poor coverage skills, and don’t get me started on the run defense.
Clemson has signed Jerome Carter III, no. 93 ranked safety in the portal (247 Sport) from Old Dominion.
Carter has a huge chance to be a day 1 starter, with us losing both starting safeties to the portal. Carter can replace Jones’ ball-hawking ability and help strengthen the back end, which suffered various coverage busts this season.
We needed one more as well, until an hour after I wrote this section we picked up G5 safety Corey Myrick out of the transfer portal who has picked up 91 tackles, including multiple stops for loss, while also adding two interceptions, four pass breakups and a forced fumble.
Before Signings SHI – Super Hot
Now SHI – Medium
Cornerback
We scooped Elliot Washington off of Penn State and Donovan Starr off of Auburn.
The former, Washington (5’11, 190) is a former four-star and top-200 prospect from Florida, is ranked as the No. 13 cornerback and No. 192 player nationally.
In 2025 he received 255 snaps for the Nittany Lions before entering the transfer portal. He missed the Pinstripe Bowl due to this.
Under Allen, Washington had a coverage grade of 71.4 and a tackling grade of 83.0, according to PFF, in 2025, those numbers dropped to 65.9 and 70.7, respectively.
The Latter, Starr is the No. 25 cornerback in 247Sports’ portal rankings. He was the 18th-ranked corner in last year’s recruiting class and the No. 136 overall player.
Starr was the No. 1 player from the state of Tennessee in the 2025 class, choosing Auburn over Clemson, Vanderbilt and others, the Tigers got an official visit.
Safe to say I think we’re good here now.
SHI – Mild
Clemson has started off aggressive so far which I think is much needed if we want to compete this season and give a proper fight in Baton Rouge vs Lane Kiffin. Maybe if things go well the Tigers can be back in the conversation for an ACC title, with real national title ambitions coming in following years.
Clemson has started off aggressive so far which I think is much needed if we want to compete this season and give a proper fight in Baton Rouge vs Lane Kiffin. Maybe if things go well the Tigers can be back in the conversation for an ACC title, with real national title ambitions coming in following years.
