The Clemson Tigers are set up to be one of the best teams in all of college football in 2025.
The Tigers boast the most returning production in the country and are led by QB Cade Klubnik, as well as one of the deepest wide receiver rooms in the nation with Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco, and T.J. Moore headlining the group. In addition, Clemson brings back four starters on the offensive line — as well as several other experienced options.
Defensively, Clemson hired Tom Allen away from Penn State to come in as defensive coordinator. With him at the helm, there has been a significant change in the intensity of practices and how the defense has performed this spring. And it's not like Clemson was devoid of talent. The Tigers still boast Peter Woods, T.J. Parker, Sammy Brown, Aveion Terrell, Khalil Barnes, and several other notable players who have potential to play at the next level.
Clemson's spring Transfer Portal wishlist
In the winter window, Clemson nabbed three transfers from the portal. The biggest of these, of course, was defensive end Will Heldt (Purdue), who was brought in to start on the opposite-side of T.J. Parker.
Tristan Smith (6-foot-5) adds another layer to the wide receiver room and he was the biggest star of the spring game. And the Tigers also brought in former 5-star Jeremiah Alexander from Alabama to provide depth in the linebacker room.
But, there are two big questions from Clemson football fans this spring offseason: 1) Will the Tigers continue their impressive track of retention? 2) Will they make any additions through the portal?
At the time of this writing, Clemson has had only one defection in the portal — CB Tavoy Feagin, who was buried down the depth chart — and there are rumors about a certain freshman who may no longer be with the team due to infractions. We'd expect there to be a couple more — just like with any program — enter the portal, as well.
So, will Swinney bring in another contributor from the portal?
Rumor has it that Clemson might be looking to bring in a punter. Jack Smith did not impress in the spring game and the Tigers may very well want to find a proven commodity there. In addition, many Clemson fans have hoped that the Tigers might bring in a piece to the secondary, as that defensive backfield could use some shoring up. No report has indicated that Clemson will take a DB, but we wouldn't be surprised if they ended up looking at a few options, depending on potential attrition.
While some national outlets have noted that Clemson might bring in a running back, we'd be surprised at this point if the Tigers brought in a running back. They seem content with WR-turned-RB Adam Randall at the helm alongside star freshman Gideon Davidson, and some combination of Jay Haynes, David Eziomume, and Jarvis Green coming out of the backfield.