FCS Defensive Tackle Transfer Set to Visit Clemson

The Clemson Tigers and defensive coordinator Tom Allen are already making the defensive tackle position a priority, hosting transfer Kourtney Kelly for an official visit this upcoming Monday.

He is rated as a three-star transfer prospect and ranks as the No. 1,122 overall player and the No. 88 defensive lineman, according to 247Sports rankings.

I will be at Clemson on January 5th!@ClemsonFB #AGTG✝️ pic.twitter.com/lUkPq9GeQ4
— Kourtney Kelly (@KourtneyKelly20) January 2, 2026

That focus comes in the wake of significant turnover along the interior defensive line, as Peter Woods (Draft), DeMonte Capehart (Draft), Stephiylan Green (Transfer) and Caden Story (Transfer) have all departed, leaving Clemson thin up the middle.

Kelly’s path to this point began at Carver High School in Georgia, where he emerged as a senior, totaling 70 tackles, 29 for a loss, 17 sacks and one interception. Despite that production, he flew under the radar in national recruiting evaluations.

As a result, Kelly remained unranked by major recruiting services following his senior season and ultimately took his talents to West Georgia, a former Division II program that has since transitioned to the FCS level of Division I.

Kelly saw minimal playing time as a true freshman, appearing in just one game against Eastern Kentucky, which allowed him to preserve a redshirt season.

But the story was much different this past season for Kelly and the Wolves. Across 11 games, the 6-foot-3 defensive tackle piled up 17 tackles, seven for a loss, four sacks and one fumble recovery while helping lead his team to an 8-3 record.

Kelly’s breakout season has quickly translated into interest on the transfer market, as he’s lined up another official visit with Kentucky for January 7.

However, Rivals’ Vice President of Recruiting, Steve Wiltfong, has already predicted Kelly to commit to the Tigers following his visits, locking in the prediction this past morning with a 60% confidence level.

While Clemson is looking for more experienced players at the position, as every remaining defensive tackle for the Tigers is either a freshman or a sophomore, Kelly brings a good bit of both experience and youth.

He’s already logged meaningful college snaps — specifically 313 last season — and has shown steady development at the FCS level, offering head coach Dabo Swinney and company a more seasoned option who could provide immediate depth and rotational stability along the interior offensive line.

As it stands, Clemson’s defensive tackle room features three-star signee Kam Cody, true freshman Amare Adams, redshirt freshman Hevin Brown-Shuler, redshirt sophomore Vic Burley, freshman Makhi Williams-Lee, redshirt freshman Champ Thompson, redshirt freshman Aidan Hydrick and redshirt sophomore Patrick Swygert.

Clemson Tigers on SI will continue to provide coverage of every player in the transfer portal through our portal tracker.