Portal Drought Ends, Will There Be More Additions for Clemson?

Many thought it would never happen.

Listening to much of the national media and even some inside of the Clemson fan base, you’d have thought Dabo Swinney would never take a meaningful player out of the transfer portal.

That all changed Monday night when Southeast Missouri State transfer receiver Tristan Smith announced his commitment to the Tigers.

Seeing as Smith is not some former 5-star prospect, it might not be the earth-shattering move some were hoping for, but this is a solid pickup and in a position of need.

Clemson has already lost Noble Johnson and Troy Stellato to the portal and it’s very possible Antonio Williams decides to head off to the NFL after the season. Seeing as Clemson only signed one receiver during the early signing period, adding another wideout seemed like a no-brainer.

Last season as a junior, Smith had 76 receptions for 934 yards and six touchdowns. He also had a touchdown on his only rushing attempt. He is 6-foot-5 and more than 200 pounds. The type of weapon Cade Klubnik will love having at his disposal.

While Smith isn’t the first portal player that Swinney has brought in, he is the first impact guy the Tigers landed. The only other two portal players Clemson brought in were backup quarterbacks Hunter Johnson and Paul Tyson.

Despite not being all that aggressive in recruiting the portal in the past, Swinney has always maintained that he would not hesitate to use it if he thought it was what was best for his roster. Just two weeks ago, the head coach made it pretty clear his staff would be looking to the portal at some point.

“I know there’s a lot of narratives out there that people love to make up and write whatever they want to write, hear what they want to hear,” Swinney said. “We’re going to do what’s best for Clemson. We always do that. But what’s best for Clemson is a reflection of what your roster looks like year in and year out. But I see very few programs that won’t have to sign some portal kids.”

Part of the frustration from fans comes from the Tigers having lost 43 players to the portal since 2021. While Andrew Mukuba and Beaux Collins were the only two starters to have left, losing that many players and continuing to replace them with high school players tends to keep your roster fairly young.

It would be wrong to assume we are in the process of seeing some massive shift in philosophy, though. Swinney is never going to be a coach that uses the portal to build a roster. What we are seeing is a head coach using an available tool to fill a gap.

However, it would also be wrong to assume Clemson is done. We already know Swinney is looking to add at defensive end. Purdue transfer Will Heldt, one of the best edge rushers in the portal, is fresh off a visit. Whether the Tigers land him, that is yet to be determined, but a strong effort is being made.

Will Swinney look to address any other positions? It is quite possible. Linebacker and safety are definitely two positions worth keeping an eye on. However, with numbers being extremely tight, that might depend on which players decide to leave via the portal following the conclusion of the season.

Either way, the portal drought is over. Smith’s name will go down in Clemson lore as the first meaningful transfer the Tigers have landed.

A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available!  Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!