Brownell, Clemson Basketball Linked to All-Conference Forward

After a weekend where Clemson basketball picked up its first transfer, head coach Brad Brownell remains on the hunt for a frontcourt player, being linked to another option.

Sanford frontcourt Dylan Faulkner has been linked to the Tigers as of late, being another mid-major option for the program next season. The senior has even been on a visit to Clemson, according to TigerIllustrated’s Paul Strelow.

The outlet also reported that Faulkner was on campus this past weekend, joining new Tiger Cole Certa as the second campus visitor to open the portal period. Now, Brownell is looking to go 2-for-2 with the players that he’s hosted thus far.

Clemson needs a big man, as one of the most important positions to fill throughout this cycle. Because of the losses of Nick Davidson and RJ Godfrey, a new piece has to fill the spot of Carter Welling's spot as well, after his torn ACL that occurred in the ACC Tournament in March.

The 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward finished his first and only season with the Bulldogs with averages of 17.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per contest.

Last season, Faulkner finished the season with 12 double-doubles, including a stretch of eight in a row in conference play. He had nine games of 20 points or more.

He shot the ball at a 56.3% clip despite never making a three-pointer in his college career. Knowing how Brownell is with his bigger players, that could change if Faulkner decides to move to Clemson over the next couple of days.

Faulkner’s 2025-26 season was strong enough to earn him First Team All-SoCon honors at the end of the season, and he also made the All-Defense team in the conference. Sanford finished the season 18-14, finishing tied for second in the SoCon with an 11-7 record.

Spending his first two seasons at Lipscomb, now the forward will look for opportunities at the Power Four level, bringing a skillset as a powerful scorer and rebounder who can protect the rim.

Here are the top eligible bigs in D1 who are dominant scorers, rim protectors, and rebounders, according to the Front Office Suite at https://t.co/cegyfz8ykZ.

This shows everyone who is:
> 90th percentile in scoring grade
> 90th in block rate grade
> 80th in D-reb grade pic.twitter.com/XbB7L4zQre
— Evan Miyakawa (@EvanMiya) April 2, 2026

While there’s been speculation of multiple bigs being selected through this cycle, Faulkner would continue the domino effect of more pieces coming to the Tigers, especially after Certa’s commitment. Especially with losing a player like Welling, who led the team in blocks last season, this mid-major standout would instantly help them while giving Clemson veteran experience.

Underclassmen Trent Steinour, Chase Thompson and freshman Will Stevens are currently the biggest players who could make an impact in the frontcourt. Brownell will look to bring some more depth while bringing in mentorship for these players.

Clemson Tigers on SI will remain updated with Faulkner’s situation, and our transfer portal tracker has every move being made within the program.