Clemson Transfer Collin Priest Finds New Home in Big 12

Just four days after the College Baseball transfer portal opened, a former Clemson slugger has found a new home.

After missing all of the 2026 season and deciding to transfer, former Clemson INF/DH Collin Priest has found a new home. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The College Baseball transfer portal opened on Monday, and Clemson Baseball has already seen nine players depart. One of the earliest was Collin Priest, who's already found a new home with a Big 12 program that was selected for the NCAA Tournament twice out of the past three years.

On Thursday afternoon, it was announced that infielder/designated hitter Collin Priest will be transferring to UCF, as first reported by Baseball America's Carlos Collazo. He will have two years of eligibility remaining heading into his redshirt junior year.

Former Clemson slugger Collin Priest is signing with @UCF_Baseball.

Dealt with injuries in 2026, but has a solid power/OBP combo. Hit 11 home runs with Michigan in 2024 and 12 home runs with Clemson in 2025. 18% career walk rate.

Loud EVs a year ago.

— Carlos Collazo (@CarlosACollazo) June 4, 2026

Priest's departure comes after an unfortunate set of circumstances this past season, as he suffered a severe hamstring injury just before his junior year was set to begin. The lingering injury forced him to miss the entirety of 2026. Following season's end, Clemson and Priest mutually agreed to part ways, according to his father, Marty Priest.

Looks like Clemson and INF/DH Collin Priest mutually agreed to part, according to his Father.

The Michigan transfer logged 52 RBIs, 47 hits and 12 HRs for the Tigers in 2025 before missing the entirety of 2026 due to injury. https://t.co/AsOZiJpsgS

— Angelo Feliberty (@felibertyangelo) June 1, 2026

Despite the tough ending to his Clemson career, Priest showed flashes of star power in orange and purple before the injury derailed his junior season.

After transferring from Michigan in 2025, the 6-foot-3 sophomore settled in as the Tigers' go-to designated hitter, slashing .240/.407/.480 with 12 home runs, 52 RBIs, 47 walks and 36 runs scored across 196 at-bats. He finished tied for the team lead in RBIs, second in home runs, third in doubles (11), walks and slugging percentage, and fourth in OPS (.887). He earned Third-team All-ACC honors for his performance.

This production is exactly what Clemson and head coach Erik Bakich were looking for from the former Wolverine, as he put up eerily similar numbers during his true freshman season. Across 56 games (39 starts), Priest hit .279 to go with 29 runs, 34 walks, 30 RBIs, 11 doubles and 11 home runs — which was a Michigan freshman record. By season's end, he earned an All-Big Ten Freshman Team Selection for his impressive debut.

Before heading to Central Florida, Priest will shake off the rust playing for the Aberdeen Ironbirds of the MLB Draft League, an 80-game season running from June through September. Through two games and seven at-bats, the power hitter has already recorded two hits — a double being one — two RBIs and a walk.

With Collin Priest among the early departures, stay up to date on all the pickups and exits for Clemson Baseball all offseason long by following along with Clemson Tigers on SI's transfer portal tracker.