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Inside Dabo Swinney's largest Clemson football portal class: Teammates, tears and tired of losing
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- Inside Dabo Swinney's largest Clemson football portal class: Teammates, tears and tired of losing
When former Alabama linebacker Jeremiah Alexander enter the transfer portal on Jan. 3, Peter Woods knew his former high school teammate would fit with Clemson football .
The Tigers already added Southeast Missouri State wide receiver Tristan Smith and Purdue Will Heldt in the transfer portal in December, but Woods wanted a familiar addition. He posted a tiger emoji on X, formerly known as Twitter, when Alexander entered the portal.
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Alexander, who was recruited by Clemson out of high school, recorded eight tackles over three seasons with the Crimson Tide and has two years of eligibility remaining. Woods participated in Alexander's official visit and published the emoji again when Alexander committed to Clemson on Jan. 8.
"With Peter Woods, we were able to win a couple state championships in high school, so that work ethic, we're ready to bring it here," Alexander said during Clemson's recruiting wrap-up last week.
Clemson's 2025 transfer class didn't rank in the top 100, according to the 247Sports transfer rankings. Still, it was the most transfers the Tigers have landed in a cycle.
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Why Tristan Smith chose Clemson, Dabo Swinney
Smith was Clemson's first skill position transfer portal addition. He recorded 76 catches for 934 yards and six touchdowns in 2024 with Southeast Missouri State and has one year of eligibility remaining.
Smith said he didn't think Clemson was an option when he entered the portal but caught Tigers coach Dabo Swinney and wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham's attention with his play in 2024. Smith visited Clemson in December and was impressed, calling it the "best visit" he has ever had.
Smith committed in Swinney's office alongside his brother.
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MORE: Clemson football schedule 2025: All dates set, including LSU, SMU, South Carolina games
"(Swinney) asked, 'Would I like to be a part of the program?' and he asked me if I had any other visits set up," Smith said. "I told him, 'Coach, no. I want to come here. I want to be a Tiger.' I was crying a little bit."
Why Will Heldt chose Clemson, Dabo Swinney
Heldt recorded 56 tackles, including 10 for loss, and five sacks in his second year with Purdue in 2024. He chose Clemson over LSU and Texas A&M and has two years of eligibility remaining.
Winning was a huge reason why Heldt committed to Clemson after Purdue went 4-8 his freshman year and 1-11 last season. He visited Clemson after it won the ACC championship and while it prepared to face Texas in the first round of the CFP.
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"Especially when you're in the portal later on in the season in December, it really speaks volumes to the program when they're still playing to compete for a national championship," Heldt said.
All transfer additions look to make an impact when spring practice starts on Feb. 28.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football: How Dabo Swinney won over 2025 transfer portal class
