Clemson Tigers Land SoCon Forward in Transfer Portal

Clemson basketball has its second player from the transfer portal this cycle, and it fills a critical need.

Clemson head coach Brad Brownell added Sanford transfer Dylan Faulkner to his portal class on Wednesday. | William Howard-Imagn Images

At first, it was Notre Dame guard Cole Certa. Now, Clemson basketball adds its second transfer of the offseason on Friday.

Sanford forward Dylan Faulkner committed to the Tigers, filling a critical need in the frontcourt ahead of the 2026-27 season. He will have one year of eligibility remaining. 

NEWS: Samford transfer forward Dylan Faulkner has committed to Clemson, source told @On3.

The 6-9 junior averaged 17.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game this season, earning All-SoCon First Team and All-Defensive Team honors.https://t.co/4H3kHcBHis pic.twitter.com/nP8klLWNDV

— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 17, 2026

The pickup is vital for head coach Brad Brownell, getting an experienced big man who has a rebounding knack while filling in for Carter Welling, who tore his ACL back in March and is expected to see time off the court at the beginning of the season. 

Over the past weekend, reports surfaced that Faulkner was on campus, joining Certa for a visit within the program. Brownell was able to secure both of the visitors, being two important pieces for next season’s roster. 

Transferring in from Lipscomb this past offseason, Faulkner averaged 17.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per contest. He started in every game for the Bulldogs this season, finishing his only season with a First Team All-SoCon honor and the All-Defensive team. The 6-foot-9, 215-pound big also had 12 double-doubles throughout the year. 

Faulkner will fit into the team as an interior presence, being almost a sure-fire scorer down low for Sanford last season. He shot the ball at a 61.7% clip last season, but most of those buckets came from shots inside the paint. Over his collegiate career, he has never hit a three-pointer. 

With how Brownell is with his big players, that tends to change when they transfer to Clemson. He will hope to do the same with Faulkner. 

The Calhoun, Georgia, native is the No. 45-ranked power forward in the transfer portal cycle, according to On3. He’s a top 200 player in the pool and a four-star pickup for the Tigers. 

As for Clemson’s frontcourt picture, Faulkner joins a young group that includes sophomores Chase Thompson and Trent Steinour. True freshman Will Stevens will also be a name to be a mentee under the senior next season. 

With three roster spots yet to fill, the Tigers could be going after another big man in the near future. It would help following departures of Nick Davidson and RJ Godfrey from this past season, interior pieces to Clemson’s NCAA Tournament team. 

Clemson Tigers on SI will remain updated through all of the transfer portal chaos with our transfer portal tracker, which should include more pieces to fall after the domino of Faulkner.