Clemson Tigers Expected to Flip Current Big 10 Transfer

The Clemson Tigers remained on the hunt for an extra defensive lineman for the group. Now, they are expected to flip one that is currently committed to Nebraska.

The Clemson Tigers are expected to get a flip commitment from current Nebraska transfer Andy Burburija. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After a busy 15-day transfer portal window that saw 10 recruits sign with Clemson, the Tigers look to keep their recruiting push moving as they could potentially flip an elite Junior College recruit.

This past Saturday, 247Sports’ Chris Hummer announced a crystal-ball prediction for Clemson to land top-60 JUCO recruit Andy Burburija only six days after announcing his commitment to the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Have put in a Crystal Ball pick for Clemson to flip Nebraska JUCO All-American DT commit Andy Burburija.

He ranks as the No. 20 overall JUCO prospect and No. 6 d-lineman in the 2026 class. Posted 11 sacks this year for Iowa Western. https://t.co/qnelGKbIMv pic.twitter.com/FPq6ZjSXLE

— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) January 17, 2026

As we’ve reported over the past week, the Tigers are still looking for one more piece to round out their interior defensive line rotation, having already signed Markus Strong from Oklahoma and Kourtney Kelly from West Georgia. 

The 290-pound defensive tackle ranks as the No. 56 player nationally, No. 9 defensive lineman and the No. 8 prospect in Illinois, according to 247Sports Composite JUCO.

Burburija’s recruitment has been all over the place in the past few months as he initially committed to Washington State in late October, but he then received an offer from Kansas State a few weeks later, prompting him to attend a visit. On December 3, he flipped from the Cougars to Kansas State.

He signed with the team the same day of his commitment, but, due to the Wildcats’ coaching change from Chris Klieman to Collin Klein, Burburija entered the transfer portal at the end of December. 

Offers started pouring in for the JUCO talent, receiving ones from Auburn, Texas Tech, Iowa State and a handful of others, including Clemson. He visited the Tigers for a two-day visit, as well as making a trip to East Lansing, Michigan, to visit the Spartans. But, he ultimately decided to commit to Nebraska last Sunday.

While his head seems to be all over the place in terms of where he wants to go, if Clemson manages to get Burburija it would be a huge get to fill out not only their interior defensive line, but the front seven as a whole. 

While playing for Iowa Western Community College this past season, Burburija had a standout sophomore campaign. He finished the year with 45 tackles, 18.5 for a loss and 11 sacks. In his two-year tenure with the Reivers, Burburija finished with 14 total sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss, being a player with raw talent that wants to make the jump to the Power Four level.

Follow along with Clemson Tigers on SI’s transfer portal tracker for all of the updates with the program’s roster for next season.