Clemson Football Transfer Portal: A New Era for the Tigers

The college football transfer portal opens on January 2, and the Clemson Tigers are actively seeking roster changes for the 2026 season. With their season over, the Tigers are now looking to reshape their team through the portal. The new, one-time portal window is open from January 2 to January 16 for all FBS and FCS players.

Clemson (7-6) finished its second-worst season under coach Dabo Swinney after entering 2025 as ACC favorites and a College Football Playoff contender. The team started the year with a 1-3 record, including two conference losses, which derailed their playoff hopes. Despite returning the most production of any FBS or FCS program, the Tigers will be without several key players in 2026.

Key Players Leaving Clemson

Several important players have entered the transfer portal:

• Rowan Byrne, offensive lineman, has entered the portal after playing only two snaps in one game as a redshirt freshman. He has four years of eligibility remaining.
• Ricardo Jones, safety, announced his entry into the portal on January 3. He was a starter in his second season, recording 39 tackles, six interceptions, and nine pass deflections in 13 games.
• Stephiylan Green, defensive tackle, entered the portal when it opened on January 2. He became a starter in his third season with the Tigers, recording 18 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 10 games.
• Markus Dixon, defensive end, announced his intentions to enter the portal on January 1. He spent three seasons with Clemson, transitioning from tight end to defensive end.
• Caden Story, defensive end, entered the portal when it opened. He spent four seasons with Clemson, logging 10 tackles over 24 games.
• Josh Sapp, tight end, entered the portal when it opened on January 2. He recorded 24 catches for 273 yards and two touchdowns in 41 games.
• Michael Manaka, cornerback, walked on to Clemson in 2022 but has only appeared in 11 games, recording one tackle.
• Rob Billings, safety, will enter the portal. He played in 32 games over three seasons, recording seven tackles.
• Jamal Anderson, linebacker, will enter the portal. He played in 31 games over three seasons, recording 16 tackles and one sack.
• Khalil Barnes, safety, announced on December 9 that he will enter the portal. He recorded 139 tackles, three forced fumbles, 18 pass deflections, and seven interceptions in 37 games.
• Keith Adams Jr., running back, will enter the portal. He recorded 274 yards rushing and two touchdowns in 32 games.
• Dee Crayton, linebacker, will enter the portal. He played in 30 games over three seasons, recording 29 tackles.
• Shelton Lewis, cornerback, informed Clemson on October 2 that he would use this year as a four-game redshirt season to enter the transfer portal. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
• Marquise Henderson, athlete, announced on June 21 that he had entered the transfer portal. He was dismissed from the team after signing in December 2024 and never played a snap at Clemson.

New Additions to the Clemson Roster

Clemson has also seen several players transferring in:

• Donovan Starr, cornerback from Auburn, transferred to Clemson on January 6. He is ranked No. 25 in the portal and has three years of eligibility remaining.
• Jerome Carter, safety from Old Dominion, transferred to Clemson on January 6. He recorded 75 tackles and six interceptions in 2025.
• Luke Ferrelli, linebacker from Cal, transferred to Clemson on January 6. He led all freshman and redshirt freshman in tackles and finished second among ACC freshmen in tackles for loss.
• Elliot Washington, defensive back from Penn State, transferred to Clemson on January 5. He recorded 18 tackles, one interception, and four pass deflections this season.

Players Visiting Clemson

Several players are currently visiting Clemson, showing interest in joining the Tigers:

• Malik Blocton, defensive lineman from Auburn, has interest from LSU, Texas A&M, Clemson, Ole Miss, and Alabama. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
• Jamal Wallace, defensive tackle from Tennessee, will visit Clemson on January 7. He played in nine games for the Vols in the last two seasons.
• Kourtney Kelly, defensive tackle from West Georgia, will visit Clemson on January 5. He recorded 10 tackles and one fumble recovery in seven games in 2025.
• Jayson Jenkins, defensive end from Florida State, will visit Clemson. He recorded 16 tackles, including one sack, in 2025.
• Lyrik Rawls, safety from Kansas, will visit Clemson on January 10-11. He logged 73 tackles, one sack, one interception, and seven pass deflections in 2025.
• Johnnie Brown, offensive lineman from Georgia Southern, will visit Clemson on January 5. He earned third-team all-Sun Belt honors this season.
• Markus Strong, defensive lineman from Oklahoma, is “eyeing” a trip to Clemson. He recorded 11 tackles, including one sack, in 11 games for the Sooners in 2025.
• Matai Tagoa’i, linebacker from Southern California, posted on X that he will visit Clemson. He recorded four tackles and forced a fumble in eight games in his inaugural season.
• Chris Bracy, safety from Memphis, posted on Instagram that he was at Clemson on January 4. He logged 81 tackles, including 9.5 for loss, one interception, nine pass deflections, and a forced fumble this season.
• Edwin Joseph, safety from Florida State, will visit Clemson on January 7. He recorded 37 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, three interceptions, five pass deflections, and one forced fumble this season.
• Josh Hough, defensive lineman from California University of Pennsylvania, will reportedly visit Clemson. He had 58 tackles, including 11 for loss and six sacks, in 2025 at the Division II level.