Big 12 Safety Transfer Set To Visit Clemson

The Tigers are hitting the ground running as they look for secondary help.

The Clemson Tigers are hitting the ground running as they look for secondary help. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

As the transfer portal opened this Friday morning, the Clemson Tigers have intensified their pursuit of another defensive player.

On3 insider Pete Nakos reported that former Kansas safety Lyrik Rawls has begun scheduling visits to other schools. Arizona State and ACC rival Duke are also among the suitors for the three-star transfer.

Kansas transfer Lyrik Rawls is lining up visits with Arizona State, Clemson, and Duke, his rep @coachzwill tells @On3sports. https://t.co/a1T5skglh8 pic.twitter.com/v4e2LtFRt6

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) January 2, 2026

Additional reports confirmed that Rawls will be visiting the Tigers on Jan. 10 and 11. He will be Clemson’s third portal target set to visit the school. West Georgia defensive lineman Kourtney Kelly and Florida State defensive lineman Jayson Jenkins are the other two.

Rawls is a rising redshirt senior who will play for his third different school. He has competed in 41 games dating back to 2021 and has snagged three interceptions. In his true freshman season at Oklahoma State, he saw action in just two games, preserving a redshirt. After two more productive seasons with the Cowboys, the Marshall, Texas, product transferred within the Big 12 to Kansas.

While with the Jayhawks in 2025, Rawls notched career-highs in tackles (72) and passes defensed (7). In his Kansas debut, the 6-foot-1 safety made a juggling interception during the third quarter, helping KU to a 31-7 blowout win over Fresno State.

While 247 Sports has not released a prediction on where Rawls will sign, it is notable that none of the three schools pursuing the safety (Clemson, Arizona State, and Duke) offered him a scholarship while he was a three-star high school prospect.

Secondary remains one of Clemson’s biggest needs to fill during this transfer portal window. Khalil Barnes is exiting the program and has already started planning visits for this portal period.

Rawls would fit nicely with Clemson’s roster, which currently features only one other strong safety in Ronan Hanafin. It’s not a surprise that Clemson is targeting a player like Rawls, who has hundreds of snaps of experience at the collegiate level. Head coach Dabo Swinney and defensive coordinator Tom Allen have both detailed how they fancy veteran players when constructing their ideal defense.