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Clemson hosting Purdue transfer, per report. Does that signal change for Dabo Swinney?
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- Clemson hosting Purdue transfer, per report. Does that signal change for Dabo Swinney?
Has Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney changed his stance on the transfer portal?
The Tigers are hosting Purdue transfer edge rusher Will Heldt for a visit in the next few days, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. Heldt is also visiting LSU and Texas A&M, per Thamel.
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This potentially signals that Clemson might start utilizing the transfer portal, which would be a significant change for the program under Swinney. The Tigers have only ever taken two players in the transfer portal in backup quarterbacks Hunter Johnson and Paul Tyson, both of whom were essentially coaches during their time at Clemson.
Heldt is one of the best available transfer players currently, ranked as the No. 45 overall transfer and No. 7 edge rusher, according to 247 Sports' transfer rankings. The 6-foot-6 edge was a bright spot for the struggling Boilermakers in 2024, finishing with 56 total tackles and five sacks on the season.
Swinney answered questions about the transfer portal recently, providing insight into his plans for attacking the portal.
"It just depends," Swinney said when asked if Clemson would take any transfers. "If there's something unexpected happen. Right now, we don't expect any unexpected. But who knows? It's a good tool to know you can go get a guy if you need it."
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Swinney added he has heard those who expect Clemson to use the transfer portal to its advantage, but said Clemson doesn't lose many players it recruits through the high school ranks.
"Everybody wants us to go to the portal, but I'm going to let y'all call the kids' parents and (tell them) they're going to have to leave," Swinney said. "I'll let y'all make that call and tell them they can no longer be at Clemson. I'm not doing that."
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football hosting Purdue transfer Will Heldt, per report
