Clemson Tigers Line Up Visit With Division II Defensive Tackle

The Clemson Tigers are lining up a visit with a defensive tackle from Division II, looking to fill a critical need that has seen many exits during this offseason.

California University of Pennsylvania defensive tackle Josh Hough will be visiting Clemson on Monday, being reported by On3’s Steve Wiltfong. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound standout has one year of eligibility remaining and wants to make a splash at a Power Four school.

The Tigers aren’t the only team that is interested in Hough, but they will look to push for a lineman who has shown promise on the football field. This past season, the Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, native finished with 58 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and six sacks.

Hough had quite the interesting journey to where he is today. He began his career at Syracuse as a running back, actually being named Mr. PA Football. However, he suffered a knee injury in fall camp of 2021 and had to redshirt for the remainder of the season.

The following year, in 2022, Hough transitioned to defensive line, being a power back with the frame that he had, to seek more opportunities with the Orange. He would then enter the transfer portal after not seeing time at the position.

He was able to pick up another medical redshirt, being able to receive a sixth year to play in 2026. Clemson will look to bring an experienced lineman into the fold after the departures of many players.

Not only does Hough bring game-ready qualities to the table, but he also adds depth to a depleted Clemson defensive line. The Tigers have already seen DeMonte Capehart and Peter Woods go to the 2026 NFL Draft. Stephiylan Green, Caden Story and Champ Thompson all are expected to depart the program as well, looking for new opportunities through the transfer portal themselves.

Vic Burley, Amare Adams, Hevin Brown-Shuler and Makhi Williams-Lee remain the only four who are returning to defensive tackles coach Nick Eason’s room.

Hough isn’t the only defensive lineman that the Tigers will be looking at through the portal. Clemson has already looked to pick up visits with Oklahoma defensive tackle Markus Strong and Florida State lineman Jayson Jenkins.

Cincinnati, UCF and Oklahoma State are also in the mix to try to add Hough to their respective programs.

Clemson Tigers on SI will keep up with Hough and the remainder of the exits and additions through our transfer portal tracker, which is constantly updated.