Clemson adds transfer Heldt, school's 1st defender via portal

Dabo Swinney continues to explore the transfer portal.

Purdue transfer edge rusher Will Heldt has committed to Clemson, his agents told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Heldt is the first scholarship defensive player to join the Tigers via the transfer portal since it was created in 2018. He spent the last four seasons with the Boilermakers and set a career high with five sacks to go along with 56 tackles (10 for loss) in 2024.

The move comes days after Swinney - who'd long been opposed to utilizing the portal - landed Clemson's first-ever non-quarterback transfer, adding former Southeast Missouri State wide receiver Tristan Smith on Monday.

The Tigers had previously lost 43 players via the transfer portal since 2021 while adding just two athletes in that span, quarterbacks Hunter Johnson and Paul Tyson, notes Sports Illustrated's Karl Rasmussen.