Clemson Basketball Schedules Visit With High-Upside Transfer Center

Head coach Brad Brownell hopes to bring in a towering center who would be Clemson's biggest signee of the 2026 portal class thus far.

Charlotte center Anton Bonke (49) is expected to have a visit with the Clemson Tigers in the upcoming days. | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

Clemson basketball is still in the hunt for its biggest prize of the transfer class, and it should have an opportunity to potentially do so with a visit coming up. 

According to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, Charlotte center Anton Bonke is expected to visit Clemson over the upcoming days. However, there are plenty of other schools who are in the running for the transfer. 

Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke is visiting Kansas today and Michigan State on Friday, his agent Scott Nichols of @Rize_Management told ESPN. Will then visit Cincinnati, NC State, South Carolina and Clemson. Bonke is also considering Arkansas, TCU, USC and Gonzaga. 7-2 center… pic.twitter.com/WxHkWE2rDR

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 15, 2026

The 7-foot-2, 270-pound big man is visiting Kansas on Wednesday before heading to Michigan State on Friday. If he doesn’t get signed by then, which is possible, then he will head to Cincinnati, NC State and South Carolina before coming to the Upstate to see the Tigers. 

The Vanuatu native began his career at Providence in 2024, hitting the transfer portal and joining the 49ers after only one season with the Friars. Bonke has one year of eligibility remaining as well. 

At the beginning of this process, the center also tested the NBA Draft waters, now coming to visit different schools after gauging interest. Perhaps one more season at the collegiate level could help Bonke get to the NBA. 

Fortunately, head coach Brad Brownell has had the opportunity to bring up a center to the pros as of late. Just as four-year standout PJ Hall. 

In his junior season, Bonke averaged 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks for Charlotte this past season. He started in 32 of the 49ers' 34 games in 2025-26. He is the No. 12 center in this year’s portal cycle, according to On3.

 To put it simply, if the Tigers were to get Bonke, it would be the biggest signing of the offseason for Brownell. He brings a length that Clemson hasn’t had since Christian Reeves in 2024-25. However, Reeves played in a reserve role; that wouldn’t be the case with the Charlotte transfer. 

Bonke also shot 34.2% from three, something that Brownell is known for developing with his centers in recent seasons. He only averaged one shot from deep per game, but every little bit helped for the 49ers. 

7'2" C Anton Bonke with a STELLAR performance for Charlotte in a win over Temple:

25 points
9 rebounds
11-14 FG

PRO? 🔮🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/1cdGPbNbQH

— The Portal Report (@ThePortalReport) January 29, 2026

Clemson’s current frontcourt situation features the likes of sophomores Chase Thompson and Trent Steinour, while bringing in freshman Will Stevens into the fold for his first season at the collegiate level. Bonke would be a bona fide starter while having the mechanics to potentially play at an All-ACC level. 

Especially with new assistant coach Chris Harriman, who has a knack for finding foreign talent, his efforts helped with securing the visit of the Vanuatu native. If the visit remains on after these visits, it could be optimistic for the Tigers going into next week. 

Clemson Tigers on SI will remain updated with Bonke’s recruitment, and follow along with our transfer portal tracker for every update that comes.