Clemson Adds Five Walk-On Transfers Ahead of 2026 Season

With Clemson Football's fall preseason camp on the horizon, there's been some recent news regarding team additions.

On Wednesday afternoon, it was announced that there were five new additions to the Tigers' roster, all walk-on transfers, as first reported by The State's Chapel Fowler.

Per Clemson's updated football roster, the team has added 5 new walk-on transfers. All will function as depth/reserve players: QB Colson Brown (GT, Anderson) LS J.R. Buckner (Auburn) CB Davion Joyner (Limestone) WR Grady Sherrill (UNC, South Dakota) and OL Danny Stein (Furman)
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) July 8, 2026

Under the NCAA's new five-year eligibility rules, players are no longer listed by class year (freshman, sophomore, etc.), but by the year of eligibility they're entering.

Clemson's roster stands at 122 despite the new 105-man limit, since 25 grandfathered walk-ons count as designated student-athletes (DSAs) outside that cap. The remaining 97 players count toward the 105 limit.

That said, we'll be looking at where their previous stops were, as well as their overall background on the gridiron.

QB Colson Brown (Georgia Tech, Anderson)

The North Augusta, South Carolina, native started his collegiate career as a walk-on with Georgia Tech after finishing his senior year with totals of 991 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns and two additional scores on the ground.

Brown also was the starting punter for North August High School, logging 22 punts for 735 yards, equating to an average of 33.4 yards per punt.

He spent his freshman season redshirting for the Yellow Jackets before transferring to Anderson, a Division III program located in Indiana. However, he didn't log any statistics nor was he included on the roster, according to the University's website.

Brown is one of two players who are not recognized as a DSA, which means he'll be counted towards the 105-man roster limit. He will wear No. 9.

CB Davion Joyner (Limestone)

Joyner spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons at Limestone College, a Division II program located in Gaffney, South Carolina, before entering the transfer portal. It proved to be the right move as the school was later closed down in April 2025 due to financial issues and declining enrollment.

Unfortunately, though, Joyner was never picked up in the transfer portal and hasn't played a snap of collegiate football in two years.

The North Charleston, South Carolina, native is also the brother of former South Carolina Gamecock Dakereon Joyner, who spent six years with the program from 2018 to 2023.

Joyner is the second player who is not recognized as a DSA and will wear No. 37.

WR Grady Sherrill (North Carolina, South Dakota)

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound wideout hails from Greensboro, North Carolina, where he attended Page High School and led his team in receiving yards as a senior, recording 22 receptions for 368 yards and four touchdowns.

He began his collegiate career as a walk-on at North Carolina, where he redshirted as a freshman and saw just one game appearance against Campbell over the next two seasons with the program.

Ahead of his redshirt junior season in 2025, he transferred to South Dakota and saw action on special teams in 8 games but didn't record any statistics.

Sherill is listed as a DSA and will wear No. 89.

OL Danny Stein (Furman)

The 6-foot-3, 260-pound interior offensive lineman, who split time between guard and center, spent his high school days at Lamar in Houston, Texas. He was a member of three district championship teams and was honored as a two-time all-district selection.

Ahead of his freshman season in 2025, Stein committed to the Furman Paladins, an FCS program in Greenville, South Carolina.

Stein is listed as a DSA and will wear No. 61.

LS J.R. Buckner (Auburn)

The Auburn, Alabama, native had a successful career at Auburn High School, logging a 100% rating on all long and short snaps. Additionally, he was selected for the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game.

Ahead of his freshman season in 2024, Buckner opted to walk on to Auburn as a long snapper, but did not see game action. He then transferred to Clemson ahead of the 2025 school year and spent the past school year as a regular student, during which he also joined the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity.

Buckner is listed as a DSA and will wear No. 43.

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