Clemson football, Dabo Swinney need spring transfer portal help at these 3 positions (2025)

CLEMSON —Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney is confident in his 2025 roster, but he can still polish it in the spring transfer portal window.

The portal opens April 16 and closes April 25, and the Tigers have already lost one player: redshirt freshman cornerback Tavoy Feagin. With his departure, Clemson has 87 scholarship players. The current limit is 85, but scholarship and roster limits will go to 105 by the team's first game if the House settlement is approved later this month.

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As a result, Clemson could add a few players to strengthen its 2025 roster. It added three transfers after the 2024 season, including wide receiver Tristan Smith, defensive end Will Heldt and linebacker Jeremiah Alexander. It was the most they've taken in a cycle in the portal's existence.

Still, Clemson has never taken a spring transfer portal player. If Swinney decides to end this streak, here are three needs the Tigers should look to fill via the portal:

Adding an experienced running back to replace Phil Mafah

Clemson's offense has the coaching and talent to be one of the best in FBS in 2025. Its only question is running back.

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The Tigers are looking to replace Phil Mafah, whose eligibility expired after rushing for more than 1,000 yards last season. His expected replacement, Jay Haynes, tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee in last year's ACC championship, leaving his status for 2025 up in the air.

With Jarvis Green suffering a midfoot sprain in the spring, the starting running back candidates were Adam Randall, Keith Adams Jr., David Eziomumeand Gideon Davidson. All had positive moments in Clemson's spring game, but none dominated to build a case to be the top back.

Swinney is confident in his running backs, but he could add a proven veteran in the portal. A candidate is Colorado's Isaiah Augustave, who rushed for 384 yards and four touchdowns last season.

FOLLOW ALONG: Clemson football spring transfer portal tracker 2025: Who's in, who's out for Dabo Swinney

Adding a young cornerback to develop behind AvieonTerrell

After Clemson's spring game, Swinney said his team's portal involvement depends on if players depart. With Feagin leaving, it opens the door for a potential replacement.

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Clemson has three capable starting outside cornerbacks with AvieonTerrell, Ashton Hampton and Jeadyn Lukus. There's also Shelton Lewis, who can play outside cornerback but has been playing at nickel. Behind those four are Myles Oliver, Branden Strozier and Corian Gipson — all inexperienced cornerbacks. Swinney called out the young defensive backs after its first spring game, expressing they weren't game ready.

The unit made strides as the spring progressed, but the Tigers replacing Feagin with another underclassman cornerback will get them back to eight scholarship cornerbacks.

Adding an experienced punter to replace Aidan Swanson

Longtime punter Aidan Swanson's eligibility expired after the 2024 season. Jack Smith is the only scholarship punter on Clemson's roster, and he has five career punts. He battled kicker/kickoff specialist Robert Gunn III and walk-on Will McCune for the starting position this spring.

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In the spring game, Smith punted twice for 77 yards (longest for 39 yards), and McCune punted once.

"More work to be done there," Swinney said. "We like our guys."

If Swinney wants to add experience, Tulane's Will Karoll would fit the bill. He punted more than 40 times in the past two seasons with the Green Wave, averaging over 42 yards. Another is Yale's Shamus Florio, who punted 39 times with an average of 38 yards last year.

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him atdcarter@gannett.comand follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dabo Swinney, Clemson football transfer portal needs in spring window