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Clemson transfer named among Week 4’s top portal performers
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- Clemson transfer named among Week 4’s top portal performers
Dabo Swinney has not been a big transfer portal guy in the past, but he decided to dabble a little this offseason. One of those additions, Penn State transfer Elliot Washington II , has already become a key piece in Clemson's secondary. Washington showed his star potential in Week 4, recording two interceptions in the Tigers' much-needed 24-10 victory over the California Golden Bears .
On3's Pete Nakos ranked Clemson cornerback Elliot Washington II ninth among the 10 most impactful transfer players from Week 4. Washington recorded his first interception four plays after Cal picked off Clemson quarterback Tait Reynolds on the Tigers' opening possession. The takeaway prevented the Golden Bears from capitalizing on the early turnover and returned possession to Clemson .
His second interception came late in the fourth quarter after Gideon Davidson's 75-yard house call gave Clemson a two-score advantage. Washington's interception effectively ended Cal's final opportunity to rally.
Clemson held the Golden Bears' offense without a touchdown and limited quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele to a career-low 119 passing yards. Washington became the first Clemson player to record multiple interceptions in a game since Ricardo Jones accomplished the feat against South Carolina in 2025.
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The performance also earned Washington his first ACC Defensive Back of the Week honor . After recording two interceptions across 36 games at Penn State, Washington has already collected three interceptions in his first four games with Clemson. All three have come over the Tigers' last five quarters of play.
Washington initially reunited with Clemson defensive coordinator Tom Allen after playing under Allen at Penn State in 2024. His familiarity with Allen's defense has helped him quickly become an important piece of a Clemson secondary that will face its biggest challenge of the season when Miami visits Death Valley on Saturday.
Washington's Week 4 recognition provides another example of how selective transfer-portal additions can make an immediate difference for Clemson.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson transfer named among Week 4's top portal performers
