Clemson Transfer Portal Class Notes
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
After years of the transfer portal being a net negative, Coach Swinney finally acquiesced to the changing nature of college football and hit a home run in the portal by adding a slew of immediate starters who change the outlook for 2026 in a big way. In the video and article below, we give a bit more detail on each addition.
S Corey Myrick – Safety (Southern Miss)
Myrick was one of the most productive safeties in the portal class — posting 91 tackles, 2 interceptions, and a forced fumble — and his all-around tackling and coverage traits will be a big boost in multiple secondary packages. He posted an incredible PFF grade over 80 across a hefty 700+ snaps. He’ll be an immediate upgrade and starter at safety.
S Jerome Carter III (Old Dominion)
Carter arrives as a ball-hawking safety, tying for second in the FBS with 6 interceptions in 2025 while also posting 76 tackles and 2.5 TFLs. Ironically, he was tied with departing Clemson safety Ricardo Jones (among others) in interceptions. Clemson was prone to busts in the secondary last season, and the room gets a full reset with a new safeties coach and two new starters. Jerome Carter will be one of them.
CB Elliot Washington II (Penn State)
Washington gives Clemson a seasoned defensive back with power conference experience, including 53 tackles, 9 pass deflections, and 2 interceptions across three seasons at Penn State. Washington reunites with DC Tom Allen, who coached him at Penn State. Replacing Avieon Terrell is an impossible task and kudos to Clemson’s staff for acknowledging they needed outside help after years of having a consistent pipeline. His speed and willingness to tackle are exactly what this group needs after losing the hard-hitting Terrell.
CB/NB Donovan Starr – Cornerback (Auburn)
Starr was a former four-star recruit at Auburn and, despite limited playing time, brings athleticism and upside to Clemson’s corner room. His profile fits well in a competitive rotation, and with three years of eligibility, he has time to develop into a boundary starter. I expect him to compete with Corian Gipson at nickelback in 2026. Clemson badly needed athleticism and depth in the secondary, and he immediately provides that, with potential for much more down the line.
LB Luke Ferrelli (California)
Ferrelli was ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year at Cal, finishing with 91 tackles, 5 TFLs, and an interception, and his sideline-to-sideline speed and instincts make him an immediate upgrade at linebacker. The Tigers have Kobe McCloud (who posted a strong PFF grade last season) and Jeremiah Alexander, but Clemson needed more athletic speed and tackling. The Tigers lost three LBs (Woodaz, Anderson, and Crayton) so were lacking depth. Ferrelli helps there, but is likely the starter meaning McCloud and Alexander provide a strong second unit. Ferrelli has three years of eligibility remaining and could develop into a star if he sticks around.
DT Kourtney Kelly (West Georgia)
Kelly steps up from FCS with athleticism inside, offering much-needed depth after departures along Clemson’s interior defensive line. During the playoff semifinals broadcast, it was mentioned that Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti values production over potential. That’s what you get with Kourtney Kelly. After redshirting in 2024 to add size, Kelly posted 4 sacks and a strong PFF grade across over 300 snaps last season. He clocks in at 281 lbs., which isn’t huge for an ACC defensive tackle, but he has been a good player at a lower level, and we’ll see how it translates.
DT Markus Strong (Oklahoma)
Strong brings Power Five experience and physicality up front, having played 10 games at Oklahoma and shown an ability to rush the passer and stop the run. At 297 lbs., Strong has good size and high-end potential. Perhaps reminiscent of DeMonte Capehart, he has struggled with injuries. He missed the 2024 season while taking a medical redshirt, giving him two years of eligibility remaining.
DE London Merritt (Colorado)
Merritt arrives as one of the top young pass-rush prospects in the portal, earning PFF All-Freshman honors and recording 8 tackles for loss as a true freshman at Colorado. Clemson needed more consistent pressure off the edge, and his speed and burst give defensive coordinator Tom Allen another weapon to pair with Will Heldt and Jaheim Lawson. With his addition, Clemson should have a real strength at DE this season.
DE CJ Wesley (Howard)
Wesley is a speed rusher from the FCS ranks that had five sacks last year. His addition gives Clemson solid depth at DE and allows them to shift Jaheim Lawson to DT in certain pass rush packages to get the most out of their roster. He won’t start, but he continues to build on the priority Tom Allen laid out at the start of the portal window, adding more speed.
RB Chris Johnson Jr.: Chris Johnson Jr was not the bell cow back from SMU, but as a speed scat back, he is a dynamic and valuable piece. He will pair with Gideon Davidson (and perhaps the occasional dose of David Eziomume) to give Clemson a now much strong RB corps. He had just under 200 snaps for SMU while averaging 7.1 YPC. If he can repeat that with 200-300 snaps, it will be a huge win for the Tigers.
Be sure to check out our sponsor, Section 103, which has added a Clemson apparel collection.
They have polos, hats, stickers, and a variety of shirts to choose from. You can grab some new Clemson gear with our promo code for 10% off: STS10
AI Assisted in the creation of this post.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos