Where Dabo Swinney, Clemson stand as portal closes, and what about Luke Ferrelli or a QB?
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CLEMSON — The transfer portal is officially closed for new players to enter, except for teams playing in the national championship on Jan. 19.
Teams can still add players who have entered, but Clemson football has set a single-season portal record after adding 10 transfers with nine additions coming on defense and one on offense.
This allowed Clemson coach Dabo Swinney to shatter his single-season portal class record of three, which the Tigers set last season. Clemson has also taken more scholarship transfers this season than the Tigers had in the previous seven years of the portal’s existence (five).
Here’s how Clemson performed in the portal and where the Tigers are in the rankings.
Who Clemson, Dabo Swinney have added, lost in portal for 2026
Additions:
- SMU RB Chris Johnson Jr.
- Howard DL CJ Wesley
- Colorado DE London Merritt
- Oklahoma DT Markus Strong
- West Georgia DT Kourtney Kelly
- Southern Miss S Corey Myrick
- Auburn CB Donovan Starr
- Old Dominion S Jerome Carter III
- Cal LB Luke Ferrelli
- Penn State CB Elliot Washington II
Losses:
- WR Parker Fulghum
- OL Rowan Byrne
- S Ricardo Jones
- DT Stephiylan Green
- DE Markus Dixon
- TE Josh Sapp
- CB Michael Manaka
- S Rob Billings
- LB Jamal Anderson
- S Khalil Barnes
- RB Keith Adams Jr.
- LB Dee Crayton
- CB Shelton Lewis
- ATH Marquise Henderson
Where Clemson football excelled in 2026 transfer portal
Clemson knew its defense needed to improve after losing seven starters to expiring eligibility, the portal and the 2026 NFL Draft. Even with those players, the Tigers’ defense struggled, prompting defensive coordinator Tom Allen to say Clemson would be active in the portal.
Allen made good on his word, landing four defensive linemen, a linebacker, two cornerbacks and two defensive backs in the portal.
Carter and Myrick can be starters at safety for a unit that gave up multiple coverage busts this season. Carter is a ball-hawking safety who tied for second in interceptions in FBS with six. Myrick, who is 6-foot-3, could slot in as Clemson’s nickel cornerback with his ability to cover and make tackles in space.
Washington, who played under Allen at Penn State in 2024, will bring speed and versatility to the cornerback room. He will compete to be Clemson’s starting cornerback opposite of Ashton Hampton.
All of Clemson’s defensive-line additions will add rotational depth behind edge rushers Will Heldt and Jahiem Lawson and defensive tackles Vic Burley and Amare Adams.
If Ferrelli, the reigning ACC defensive rookie of the year, doesn’t transfer from Clemson, he can compete to be the No. 2 linebacker beside Sammy Brown. His quickness and ability to make tackles would boost Clemson’s linebacker corps with Jeremiah Alexander and Kobe McCloud.
Where Clemson football underperformed in 2026 transfer portal
Clemson only added one offensive player: a running back. Johnson will add speed and experience to the Tigers’ running back, but they did not satisfy other needs.
A major one was at quarterback. Senior quarterback Cade Klubnik is gone after his eligibility expired.
Clemson’s 2026 quarterbacks are Christopher Vizzina, who has one start in three years, along with Chris Denson and former walk-on Trent Pearman, who have never started during their time with the Tigers. Clemson also has two freshman signees: Brock Bradley and Tait Reynolds.
Another area that was not addressed was the offensive line. The Tigers lost starting tackles Blake Miller and Tristan Leigh, center Ryan Linthicum and right guard Walker Parks as all exhausted their eligibility.
Clemson attempted to address its needs on offensive line but missed on all of their pursuits, including Tennessee’s Lance Heard, ECU’s Kojo Poku, Michigan State’s Stanton Ramil and Georgia Southern’s Johnnie Brown III.
Clemson has four players who are expected to start in 2026: Harris Sewell, Collin Sadler, Elyjah Thurmon and Brayden Jacobs. The Tigers will have to rely on one of their experienced players to step up or pursue a lineman who isn’t rated highly in the portal.
If Clemson loses Ferrelli, too, it will be a huge blow to its linebacker corps. Brown, Alexander and McCloud would enter spring practice as the team’s starting linebackers. The trio avoiding injury would be important because behind him are multiple inexperienced players.
Clemson football transfer portal rankings
Clemson’s 2026 transfer portal class ranks No. 65 in the 247Sports rankings. It is the Tigers’ highest ranking ever, breaking their previous high of No. 82 last season.
Clemson’s class is the 15th highest in the ACC, though, beating out only Pitt and Stanford.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at DCarter@usatodayco.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football transfer portal update, Luke Ferrelli news
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