Breaking news: Clemson is now a transfer portal player.
The Tigers landed their second meaningful transfer acquisition of the modern era on Thursday, scoring a commitment from Purdue sophomore defensive end Will Heldt, according to ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Clemson's football office released the Tigers' signing of Heldt at 4 p.m. ET.
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Heldt (6-6, 265), ranked No. 13 nationally among portal players by Rivals.com, visited Clemson on Sunday and departed on Tuesday.
He picked the Tigers after trips to LSU and Texas A&M.
Heldt represents a monumental addition for the program, as Dabo Swinney had yet to bring in a transfer with a true plug-and-play role for his team -- which, naturally, took a life of its own as a recurring national story.
The Tigers had tried for a select few offensive line transfers over recent years, offering numerous portal players at the position, while they had brought in grad transfer quarterbacks to serve in the third-string clipboard role.
But Heldt breaks the ice as the first time Clemson has prevailed in the NIL climate against strong competition for a true scholarship-caliber player expected to contribute significantly on the field. And it represents the second portal take this week following the commitment and signing of Southeast Missouri State wideout Tristan Smith.
Heldt had a breakout sophomore campaign, registering 56 tackles, five sacks and 10 tackles for loss in his first year as a starter.
He appeared in all of Purdue's games as a freshman and was credited with 12 tackles.
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The Carmel, Ind., native was a high-three star in the 2023 class, picking the Boilermakers over Iowa after summer official visits to both before his senior season. He also held offers from Northwestern, Iowa State, Minnesota, Duke, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Illinois and Indiana.
Purdue lost more than 20 players to the transfer portal after its 1-11 record prompted the firing of coach Ryan Walters.
Tigerillustrated.com informed subscribers last month that Clemson would be prioritizing the addition of a starting-caliber defensive end in the portal.
Defensive tackle Peter Woods, redshirt junior Cade Denhoff, redshirt sophomore Jahiem Lawson and sophomore A.J. Hoffler all saw time opposite standout junior T.J. Parker.
But Clemson never got the consistent production desired, especially after moving Woods back inside late in the season.
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Ultimately, the Tigers got their man in Heldt and did so little more than a week after the opening of the December portal window.
We do not believe Clemson is done in the portal, and will seek to bolster its depth and options at multiple positions during this off-season. (Spring portal window begins April 16)
Tigerillustrated.com will of course have more on Heldt and his recruitment on Friday.
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