Ranking Every Clemson Transfer Acquisition of the Offseason

The Clemson Tigers had their first eventful offseason in the transfer portal this past month, landing nine new signees ranging from the SEC to FCS.

About two weeks ago, we put together a top-five ranking of the Tigers' transfer portal class. Since then, though, things have moved fast — most notably with the drawn-out Luke Ferrelli saga that ultimately ended in the rising sophomore flipping to Ole Miss.

With all that in mind, we're expanding the scope. This time, we're ranking every addition from top to bottom, evaluating who has the potential to make the biggest impact on the program, not just in 2026, but well into the future.

1. DE London Merritt

With the Tigers losing one of their top defensive players in T.J. Parker to the NFL Draft this offseason, bolstering the edge became a clear priority. While seniors Will Heldt and Jahiem Lawson return to lead the unit, Clemson needed a young, high-upside player who could develop alongside them.

Merritt fits that role perfectly.

The former Buffalo has three years of eligibility remaining, coming off his true freshman season where he totaled 25 tackles, eight for a loss and one sack across more than 300 snaps. His impact earned him Freshman All-American honors from PFF, along with an All-Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year Honorable Mention.

While in the transfer portal, he was rated a three-star prospect and ranked No. 22 among edge rushers by On3's recruiting rankings.

And if recent history is any indication, Clemson knows how to strike gold at the position through the portal, as the Tigers did exactly that last offseason with Heldt, who arrived from Purdue and made an immediate impact in Death Valley, leading the defense in both sacks (7.5) and tackles for loss (15.5) in 2025.

Head coach Dabo Swinney even said Merritt could make an immediate impact, and that he was a player that he "knew a lot about."

"We recruited him out of high school," Swinney said. "He's a freshman all-conference guy there in the Big 12 at Colorado, super good fit for us."

2. S Jerome Carter III

Carter was one of Clemson's earliest portal targets, with him being the first player, alongside defensive tackle Kourtney Kelly, to visit Death Valley.

The rising junior was a huge get for the program, with both starting safeties, Khalil Barnes and Ricardo Jones, entering the portal following the season's end.

Carter will fill the ball-hawk role that Jones served last season, as he matched his number of interceptions with six, tying for the second-most in the country. In the breakout campaign, he earned Second-Team All-Sun Belt honors and helped lead his team to a 10-win season, tying for the most in school history.

Through two years at Old Dominion, Carter totaled 98 tackles, 2.5 for a loss, six interceptions and three pass deflections. He has two years of eligibility remaining, bringing experience and the impact to turn games flat on their head.

3. CB Donovan Starr

Clemson's cornerback room took a massive hit this offseason, losing versatile star Avieon Terrell to the NFL Draft, as well as rising senior Shelton Lewis to Arkansas in the transfer portal.

While the Tigers still have young talent in Ashton Hampton and Corian Gipson, Starr could be the perfect piece to slide in alongside them as he has everything defensive coordinator Tom Allen wants: a speedy, competitive, multi-sport athlete.

Similar to Merritt, the Tigers recruited Starr out of high school and made his final four before he ultimately picked Auburn.

As a true freshman in 2025, he played sparingly on defense, totaling just 18 snaps, but appeared in eight games on special teams. He has three years of eligibility remaining, so even if he isn't an instant playmaker, he'll have plenty of time to develop under longtime defensive backs coach Mike Reed.

Considering his age and high upside, Starr ranked as a top-300 player in the portal and the No. 23 cornerback in the country, according to On3 rankings.

4. S Corey Myrick

Joining Carter in the safety room is 6-foot-3 Corey Myrick, who ranked as the No. 36 player at his position in the transfer portal.

Swinney called both Myrick and Carter the "top two safeties" in the pool.

"These guys are long. They can run," he said. "They're both all-conference players. These are really good football players, our process is the same, and they really fit and align with who we are here."

Last season at Southern Miss, Myrick finished with 91 tackles, two interceptions and one forced fumble. He began his career at Marshall, transferring for the second time in his two seasons of eligibility. Now, he will see snaps at a Power Four school coming off an all-conference season.

5. CB Elliott Washington II

Washington became the first official commitment of the program's 2026 transfer portal class after transferring from Penn State, where he had his most productive season in 2024 under now-Clemson defensive coordinator Tom Allen.

Coming out of high school, Washington was highly sought after by some of the best programs in the country, including Alabama, LSU, Oregon, and Tennessee, but ultimately decided to commit to the Nittany Lions.

Over three seasons with the team, the 5-foot-11 cornerback showed flashes of his potential, but wasn't able to put it all together and solidify a starting role in the secondary. Still, he recorded 53 tackles, nine pass deflections and two interceptions in his time with the school.

Like Myrick and Carter, Swinney said that Washington and Starr were his "top-two guys."

"Both of these guys can run," he said. "So those four guys, we got some speed, some length, size and athleticism."

According to On3's portal rankings, Washington ranks as the No. 26 player at his position. He should bring a veteran presence to a relatively young cornerback room, as 2026 will be his final year with remaining eligibility.

6. RB Chris Johnson Jr.

Johnson is the lone offensive transfer to arrive in Death Valley this offseason, as Clemson explored options to bolster the offensive line through the portal but ultimately did not land any additions.

New offensive coordinator Chad Morris made the pickup in an effort to add a new dynamic to the offense. That he did, as Johnson has speed like no other back in college football, recording a top speed of 22.3 miles per hour this past season — ranking first among running backs and second among all players.

Johnson initially began his collegiate career with the Miami Hurricanes, totaling 17 carries for 104 yards and one touchdown through his first two years before deciding to transfer to ACC foe SMU ahead of last season.

In his first, and only, season with the Mustangs, he operated as the primary backup behind T.J. Harden and excelled, finishing the season with 67 carries for 479 rushing yards — a whopping 7.1 yards per carry — and four touchdowns. He also added 17 catches for 180 yards and one touchdown through the air.

One of his most notable performances from last season came in Clemson's Memorial Stadium, as he totaled 10 touches for 99 yards and a touchdown in the 35-24 SMU win.

With Adam Randall and Keith Adams Jr. no longer in the mix, Clemson benefited from adding backfield depth, especially after signing zero players at the position in the past recruiting cycle. Johnson's speed should mesh well in a running back room led by sophomore Gideon Davidson and redshirt sophomore David Eziomume. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

7. DT Markus Strong

Strong was one of the final commitments of Clemson's transfer class and brings the ideal size and experience that the Tigers need as a redshirt junior.

He's one of two interior defensive linemen additions, joining West Georgia's Kourtney Kelly, and is expected to step into a starting role alongside rising sophomore and former five-star Amare Adams after the departures of Peter Woods, DeMonte Capehart and Stephiylan Green, who transferred to LSU.

The 295-pound lineman has spent the past three years with the Oklahoma Sooners, where he totaled 10 tackles, four for a loss and three sacks. As a part of one of the nation's best defenses this past year, he made eight tackles and one sack in five games.

8. DT Kourtney Kelly

Among Clemson's nine acquisitions, Kelly was the first reported target Clemson engaged with and the first to schedule a visit to Death Valley, touring campus alongside Jerome Carter III.

Coming out of high school, Kelly was 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.

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 defensive line.

9. DE C.J. Wesley

Wesley was the final commitment of Clemson's 2026 portal class and ranked as the No. 79 edge rusher, according to On3's transfer rankings.

Texas Tech was another team that was in contention, as Wesley was reportedly on a visit during the transfer portal period.

Playing for the FCS and HBCU program Howard last season, Wesley recorded five sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. He also recorded two forced fumbles and recovered one in 12 games played.

The 6-foot-2 defensive end has one year of eligibility remaining from redshirting during the 2024 season, where he appeared in zero games.

Entering Clemson, Wesley will likely battle for a starting spot with Jahiem Lawson and London Merritt.