Clemson Tigers Secure FCS Defensive Tackle Transfer

The Clemson Tigers lock in their first defensive tackle transfer of the period, picking up a player who had his eyes set on the program for the majority of the period.

Clemson defensive tackles coach secures his first commitment to his room through the transfer portal in Kourtney Kelly. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers pick up their sixth commitment of the transfer portal window, doubling their number from last season, with the acquisition of West Georgia defensive tackle Kourtney Kelly.

Kelly announced the transfer on his social media on Wednesday afternoon.

I’M HOME !!! #COMMITTED #ALLIN #AGTG @ClemsonFB @CoachEason1 pic.twitter.com/Km4RCCu8hC

— Kourtney Kelly (@KourtneyKelly20) January 7, 2026

The 6-foot-3, 281-pound tackle locked in a visit to Clemson from the beginning, establishing a visit on Monday after the Jan. 2 window opened. From there, he stayed an extra day with the Tigers, posting on his social media the excitement of potentially committing there on Tuesday.

West Georgia DL Kourtney Kelly is still on campus taking in his portal visit.@ClemsonSportNet was on this early. pic.twitter.com/zSACyA5UQ9

— Grayson Mann (@gray_mann21) January 6, 2026

In 2025, Kelly played in 11 games, finishing the season with 17 tackles, seven being for a loss, four sacks and one fumble recovery while guiding the Wolves to an 8-3 record. He was expected to receive buzz from Power Four schools immediately, and Clemson cashed in. West Georgia was a former Division II program that transitioned into a Division I FCS school as of late.

He also had a visit planned with the Kentucky Wildcats on Wednesday, but he made his commitment official before visiting. Rivals' Vice President of Recruiting, Steve Wilfong, had predicted Kelly to commit to the Tigers early in the recruiting process.

According to 247Sports, the Columbus, Georgia, native is a top 100 defensive lineman in the transfer portal, providing depth at the defensive tackle while seeing meaningful snaps over the course of last season. He played 313 snaps last season, already being a player on the defensive line with more snaps than most in the room.

The commitment is important for defensive coordinator Tom Allen, who lost tackles Peter Woods and DeMonte Capehart to the NFL Draft while also losing Stephiylan Green and Caden Story to the transfer portal.

Kelly will compete with the likes of true freshman Amare Adams, redshirt freshman Hevin Brown-Shuler, redshirt sophomore Vic Burley and freshman Makhi Williams-Lee to start at the position. There may be more transfers on the way as well, with how the Tigers have attacked this transfer portal so far.

The transfer is the sixth of the cycle, joining cornerback Elliot Washington II, linebacker Luke Ferrelli, cornerback Donovan Starr, safety Jerome Carter III and safety Corey Myrick. Head coach Dabo Swinney has shown no signs of slowing down, either. Expect more to occur during visits happening over the next several days.

Clemson Tigers on SI will remain updated with other commitments and departures through our transfer portal tracker.