Offensive Tackle With All-Conference Honors on Clemson Visit

The Clemson Tigers have been rebuilding their defense through the transfer portal, and now they’re looking at reinforcements on the other side of the ball.

The team is still looking for its first offensive piece through the portal, hosting a visit with East Carolina offensive lineman Emmanuel Poku on Friday to round out the first full week of the open portal. The visit was confirmed by On3’s Paul Strelow with Tiger Illustrated.

Poku was a second-team All-American Conference player last season with the Pirates. The redshirt junior saw 975 total snaps at right guard this season, according to Pro Football Focus, which could be where he plays wherever he ends up next.

The 6-foot-5, 325-pound lineman is more successful in pass protection, having a grade of 69.1 this past season in that statistic. His run blocking was at a lower 60.6 grade, but he still found success in the American Athletic Conference for the Pirates last season.

Poku is ranked the No. 17 offensive tackle in the transfer portal cycle, being a top 300 player in the portal. He is a three-star prospect in transfer rankings, according to On3. He would have one year of eligibility remaining.

The Charlotte native actually began his college career as a walk-on at East Carolina. He won a starting job two seasons ago and hasn’t looked back since. Now, he looks to jump up to the Power Four level and bring experience to the offensive line next season.

Head coach Dabo Swinney would fill a key need at offensive tackle with Poku. The Tigers lost Tristan Leigh, Ryan Linthicum, Walker Parks and Blake Miller due to eligibility, meaning there will be a younger offensive line being used next season. Of course, that can change if Swinney brings in a plethora of offensive line pieces. If Poku commits to Clemson, he would bring game experience with all-conference honors.

It is important to note that Texas Tech and Missouri are also in the mix to nab Poku. He was at both of those schools earlier this week.

Clemson currently has eight transfers joining the program as of Friday morning. All are on defense, meaning that Swinney trusts his offense, which returns with experience at skill positions. He will look to fill the offensive line with some potential experienced transfers, looking to have a successful visit with Poku on Friday.

Follow along with all of Clemson’s transfer portal needs with Clemson Tigers on SI’s transfer portal tracker.