Tag: Clemson transfer portal

Clemson athletic director reiterates support for Dabo Swinney

Here’s what Clemson athletic director Graham Neff said about Dabo Swinney entering the 2024 college football season.

An irate Dabo Swinney infamously told a radio caller last fall that he would stay at Clemson for as long as the school wanted him.

The Tigers were 4-4 at the time and coming off a 24-17 loss to North Carolina State that proceeded losses to Miami, Florida State and Duke. Swinney’s team would rebound and close the year with five straight victories to finish 9-4 and ranked in the Top 25.

On Wednesday, Clemson athletic director Graham Neff spoke to reporters and gave Swinney a glowing endorsement ahead of the 2024 season.

“Couldn’t be more convicted and supportive of Coach Swinney,” Neff said without hesitation. “Two-time national champion head coach and how he has built his current program and where he’s at, let alone where his strategies and nimbleness, quite frankly, is ahead.”

Swinney has been under fire from many in the media — and some Clemson fans — for his reluctance to adapt to the changing landscape of college football. Namely, his lack of use of the transfer portal.

Clemson did not take a single player in the portal during the offseason, the only Power Four program not to do so. Swinney, who is entering his 17th season as Tigers head coach, didn’t help his case when he claimed that players in the portal weren’t “good enough” to play for Clemson.

While reiterating his support for Swinney, Neff said that he and the coach have talked about Swinney’s approach to roster-building in a “supportive” manner.

“We talk about it in a supportive way and an understanding vision and strategy (of) how do we continue to be adaptable in a changing landscape,” Neff said. “Sure, that means roster management, but that particularly means a lot of things that we have talked about. There’s absolutely an active engagement with me and coach, but just in a very supportive (way) and equipping him and the other 15 of our head coaches in how they run their programs and build their rosters.”

Clemson, ranked No. 14 in the preseason AP Top 25 and US LBM Coaches Poll, faces No. 1-ranked Georgia in the season opener for both schools, Aug. 31 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Kickoff is set for noon ET. The game will be televised on ABC.

Neff’s full press gathering with reporters can be seen below.

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Clemson baseball lands massive commitment in transfer portal

Erik Bakich made quite a big splash in the transfer portal Wednesday. The Tigers landed a commitment from the 2024 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Luke Gaffney.

The Clemson baseball team made a big splash in the transfer portal on Wednesday with the commitment of former Purdue first baseman Luke Gaffney, the 2024 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

As a redshirt freshman, Gaffney batted a team-best .359 in 59 games (all starts) for the Boilermakers. He set Purdue freshman records for home runs (13), RBIs (64), hits (75), runs scored (62) and slugging percentage (.646), finishing with a 1.095 OPS. A right-handed batter, Gaffney was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week five times.

Gaffney announced his commitment to Clemson in a social media post to Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C8sCbE_O49_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Listed as 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, Gaffney committed to Purdue out of Boyle County High School in Danville, Ky, in 2022. Perfect Game rated him the No. 3 overall catcher in the Bluegrass State for the class of 2022.

Gaffney is the third player the Tigers and coach Erik Bakich have added via the transfer portal since their season ended in the Clemson Super Regional on June 9. Over the weekend, the Tigers picked up a commitment from former Michigan infielder Collin Priest, who batted .279 with 11 home runs, 11 doubles and 30 RBIs in 56 games this past season.

Earlier this month, Clemson also received a commitment from former Indiana State outfielder Dominic Listi. Listi hit .324 with 14 doubles, three home runs and 31 RBIs in 59 games this past season.

Follow us @Clemson_Wire on X and on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and commentary.  

Clemson baseball adds Michigan starter via transfer portal

Clemson landed its second player through the transfer portal this offseason on Saturday in Michigan infielder Collin Priest.

Clemson baseball coach Erik Bakich has found his second player through the transfer portal this offseason.

The Tigers landed a commitment Saturday from former Michigan infielder/designated hitter Collin Priest, who announced the news in a social media post to X, formerly Twitter.

Priest was a freshman at Michigan this past season, batting .279 with 11 home runs, 11 doubles and 30 RBIs. He had an OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 1.023, the second highest mark on the team.

A left-handed batter, Priest played in 56 games in 2024, making 39 starts. He was an All-Big Ten selection at designated hitter and set a Michigan freshman record for home runs. He homered as part of a 4 for 5 afternoon in a 7-6 Wolverines victory over Purdue on May 11, finishing a triple shy of the cycle.

Priest came to Michigan via Mount Dora Christian Academy in Florida, where he was a three-time All-State selection. He was primarily a first baseman during his senior season of prep ball and had playing time there for Michigan this past season.

Priest is the second roster addition Clemson has made through the transfer portal since the Tigers’ season ended on June 9 in the Clemson Super Regional. On June 15, the Tigers gained a commitment from former Indiana State outfielder Dominic Listi.

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Clemson reportedly in contact with impressive JUCO player

Clemson coach Erik Bakich has reportedly reached out to a coveted JUCO player.

Clemson baseball coach Erik Bakich has his eyes on 2025 and who will be the next members of Team 127.

One of them is reported to be JUCO infielder Luke Orfi. The Clemson Insider reported over the weekend that the Tigers had been in touch with the Cumming, Georgia, native, who spent last season with Georgia Highlands in the JUCO ranks.

According to stats compiled by the NJCAA, Orfi batted .438 last season for Georgia Highlands. He finished with a 1.242 OPS, totaling 16 home runs, 23 doubles and 60 RBIs in 66 games while also stealing 56 bases (63 attempts).

Orfi primarily batted leadoff and played shortstop for Georgia Highlands. The Tigers will be looking for a new leadoff hitter next season with Alden Mathes out of eligibility and Cam Cannarella — the team’s primary leadoff man in 2023 — having developed more into a power threat in the middle part of the Tigers’ lineup.

Jacob Hinderleider, who took over at shortstop for Andrew Ciufo midway through the 2024 season, is also out of college eligibility after having transferred to Clemson for his senior season. Ciufo recently announced plans to return for a second season at Clemson after suffering a torn ACL in April.

The Tigers have already added one player in Indiana State transfer Dominic Listi. Listi batted .324 with three home runs, 14 doubles and 31 RBIs in 2024, earning second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors.

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Clemson player enters transfer portal

Outfielder Nathan Hall is the latest Clemson player to enter the transfer portal.

Another Clemson Tigers player has entered the transfer portal.

Sophomore outfielder Nathan Hall has entered the portal following Clemson’s season-ending loss to the Florida Gators in last Sunday’s Clemson Super Regional, according to a report from On3.

Hall saw limited playing time in an outfield that consisted of sophomore sensation Cam Cannarella, Alden Mathes, Tristan Bissetta and others in 2024, appearing in 12 games (four starts). He batted .227 (5 for 22) with a double and three RBIs this season.

A native of Lexington, South Carolina, Hall played in 39 games for the Tigers as a freshman in 2023, batting .243 (18 for 74) with an on-base percentage of .321. He hit one home run, three doubles and totaled 12 RBIs that season.

Hall is the third Clemson player to hit the transfer portal after the conclusion of the Tigers’ season. Infielder Cooper Blauser, the son of former Atlanta Braves shortstop Jeff Blauser, entered the transfer portal earlier this week.

Right-hander Billy Barlow also entered the portal this week after appearing in 15 games (10 starts) with Clemson this season. Barlow was used primarily as a midweek starter and went 6-1 with a 4.28 ERA while logging 48 1/3 innings. He struck out 42 batters and walked 20. Opponents batted .259 against Barlow.

The Tigers added a commitment via the transfer portal Saturday in former Indiana State outfielder Dominic Listi.

RELATED: Clemson lands impact player in the transfer portal

The transfer portal for college baseball players opened June 3. The deadline for players to enter is July 2.

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The problem with Clemson football is not using the transfer portal, says JD PicKell

Dabo Swinney and the transfer portal have been like oil and water. Is it time to change that?

It’s been three seasons since Clemson made the College Football Playoff. Granted, those three years, the Tigers finished with records nearly any team in the country would be happy to have, but Clemson has been to the playoffs more than any team in the country except Alabama, six years in a row.

Elite success breeds high expectations, and Clemson hasn’t lived up to it in some peoples’ eyes, especially in the national media.

The host of On3 Sports’ “The Hard Count,” JD PicKell, illustrates it perfectly. “If you want to keep enjoying these champagne problems, if you want to keep enjoying champagne,” Clemson needs to continue making the playoffs. His suggestion to Dabo Swinney and the Tigers is to use the transfer portal.

“Dabo not using the portal isn’t a new thing. Nobody was complaining about him not using the portal when they were reeling off college football playoff appearances, but the fact they’ve missed the college football playoff, now, the last three seasons. It’s becoming more of a talking point, becoming more of an issue…

“It’s no longer the situation in college football where you can maybe use the portal, maybe not use the portal. It’s not an option anymore. Everyone and their mama that is winning at a high level is utilizing the transfer portal…”

Going a step further, PicKell makes the point that the teams Clemson is losing to are teams that make a point to utilize the portal. Of the Tigers’ four losses in 2023, NC State had the least incoming transfers with six. Duke had 9, FSU had 12, and Miami had a whopping 17.

PicKell also points out that the transfers, themselves, are making a difference against Clemson. “Keon Coleman made the game-winning grab for a touchdown. He was a guy that was in the portal that Clemson, I’m sure, very much could have made a play for.”

Swinney is hesitant to use the transfer portal because of its potential effect on the culture. But PicKell doesn’t believe the culture has to suffer. Instead, he thinks of the portal as an “apology” for missing on high school recruiting.

“The portal is like an apology. Hey, we missed on this kid. Hey, we missed at this position. Hey, we don’t have enough depth here. Let’s go to the portal and remedy that.”

Clemson had 12 outgoing transfers to one incoming last season. This its 12 and zero, respectively. That by itself is not sustainable. Sure, they can fill the vacancies with high school recruits, but to what end? Every team in the country is recruiting high school prospects. Clemson won’t get every player they want and will have to settle for less talented players.

Future teams will increasingly become less talented and younger if the Tigers don’t start using the transfer portal. With Clemson trying to leave the ACC to, assumedly, the SEC or Big Ten, that won’t be a recipe for success. Quality team depth and experience will matter.

Clemson women’s basketball adds two players in transfer portal

Clemson Women’s Basketball: The Clemson Tigers announced two new additions to the team’s 2024-25 roster.

The Clemson women’s basketball program has announced the addition of two new players to coach Shawn Poppie’s first roster via the transfer portal.

One of them is North Carolina graduate transfer Anya Poole, who signed with Clemson on Monday after spending four seasons in Chapel Hill. A 6-foot-2 forward from Raleigh, N.C., Poole started 74 games for the Tar Heels and was a part of three NCAA Tournament teams.

Her two best seasons were in 2021-22 and 2022-23. As a sophomore, Poole started all 32 games and averaged 20.2 minutes and 7.5 points a night with 6.5 rebounds. In her junior season, she averaged five points and 5.9 rebounds in 21.2 minutes. Poole saw action in 30 games a season ago, making six starts and averaging 12.3 minutes.

Poole was a five-star recruit out of Southeast Raleigh High School by ESPNW in 2020.

“I’m extremely excited to announce the addition of Anya Poole to our Clemson family,” Poppie said in a statement released by Clemson Athletic Communications Monday. “Anya will fill a big void in our front court. As we identified a need at that position, we looked for experience at this level, a physical presence, and someone with the ability to be versatile. Anya checked all of our boxes and finished the last check as being our type of kid. I initially recruited Anya and her family during the high school process and our relationship picked right back up throughout this process. Anya will represent our program in a great way on and off the court while I know she looks forward to getting involved with our ClemsonLIFE program.”

Clemson also announced Monday the addition of senior transfer Addie Porter, a starting point guard on Poppie’s two NCAA Tournament teams when he was head coach at Chattanooga. A 5-foot-4 guard, Porter started all 33 games for the Mocs last season, averaging 7.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.

“Addie is the definition of toughness and high character,” Poppie said in a statement. “She helped lead our Chattanooga program to back-to-back tournament championships from the point guard position. Addie understands our culture and lives it out on a daily basis. I believe her leadership skills will bridge the gap to the culture we plan on establishing here at Clemson. As a coach, I pride myself on building strong relationships with my players that allows us to grow together. I couldn’t be more proud as a coach that Addie chose to finish her senior season at Clemson, allowing me to play a part not only in this upcoming year but the next forty years.”

Poppie’s roster is now up to 13 players with the additions of Poole and Porter. The coach’s transfer class also includes former Chattanooga guard Hannah Kohn and former Mercer guard Summah Evans, the Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2022-23.

Former Belmont standout and All-Missouri Valley Conference selection Tessa Miller also transferred to Clemson earlier this month, as did former Alabama starter and South Carolina native Loyal McQueen. McQueen averaged 9.8 points per game in almost 31 minutes a night as the Crimson Tide’s starting point in all 34 games a season ago.

Clemson forward enters the transfer portal after one season with the Tigers

After one season with the Tigers, Jack Clark has entered the transfer portal.

Brad Brownell and the Clemson men’s basketball team are losing another player to the transfer portal after the Tigers’ historic run to the Elite 8.

After one season with the program, forward Jack Clark enters the transfer portal and moves on from the program. The graduate transfer joined Clemson ahead of the 2023-24 season after spending for years at La Salle and the 2022-23 season with the NC State Wolfpack.

During his lone season with the Tigers, Clark averaged 4.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He shot 39.8 percent from the field, 30.2 percent from 3, and 76.9 percent from the free-throw line in 25 appearances (17 starts).

We will monitor Clark’s situation closely as we await to see what team he ends up with.

Former Clemson RB announces transfer destination

A former Clemson running back is heading across the South Carolina-Georgia border to play for a new team.

A former Clemson running back has announced his transfer destination.

Domonique Thomas took to X on Saturday to say that he is transferring to Georgia State after spending the last two seasons at Clemson.

A former walk-on, Thomas finished 2023 with 116 yards and one touchdown on 18 attempts. As a Tiger, he had 25 career carries for 147 yards and one score. He entered the portal on Dec. 4 and received offers from Georgia State, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, UAB, Missouri, Troy and Richmond, among others.

With Thomas gone, the Tigers will continue to rely on Will Shipley and Phil Mafah in the Gator Bowl versus Kentucky on Dec. 29.

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Former Clemson guard announces transfer destination

A former Clemson offensive lineman has announced his transfer destination after entering the portal in November.

A former Clemson offensive lineman has found his new home.

Former Clemson guard Mitchell Mayes took to X on Monday to announce he is transferring to Charlotte.

A former three-star recruit, Mayes had been in and out of the Tigers’ offensive line unit this season as Clemson has been inconsistent and has struggled with injuries. He entered the transfer portal on Nov. 29.

Mayes is one of several key Clemson contributors who have entered the portal since the Tigers’ final regular season game against South Carolina. Along with Mayes, defensive back Andrew Mukuba, wide receiver Beaux Collins, quarterback Hunter Helms, cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. and running back Dominique Thomas have all entered the portal.

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