Clemson LHP Ethan Darden enters NCAA transfer portal

Clemson left-handed pitcher Ethan Darden has entered the NCAA transfer portal, On3 has learned. The junior’s decision comes shortly after being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament over the weekend.

Darden pitched 40.0 innings during the 2025 season, finishing the year with a 4-2 record and a 6.08 ERA. He appeared in nine games (all starts) before injuries took him out of the lineup down the stretch. He last played on April 12.

“He’s got a tricep thing and his treatment protocol, they want him to immobilize it with a brace,” head coach Erik Bakich said last month. “Nothing surgical, nothing serious.”

His abbreviated season was the least production he recorded during his time with the program. He arrived at Clemson as a long reliever during the 2023 season, but would move into the weekend rotation by the end of the season. He began the 2024 season in the bullpen before once again working himself into the weekend rotation. Darden logged 23 starts during his first two seasons with the program.

Darden finishes his three-year run with Clemson with a 12-9 record, including a 5.50 ERA. He appeared on the mound 47 times while making 32 starts across 162.0 innings pitched.

Before college, Darden was the No. 193 left-handed pitcher in the country, per Perfect Game, as well as the No. 32 overall player in the state of South Carolina. It remains to be seen if he’ll want to play closer to home during his senior season, or if he’s looking for the best baseball fit for his services.

Clemson’s 2025 baseball season concluded on Sunday after falling to West Virginia and Kentucky in consecutive matchups while hosting their regional over the weekend. It’s an unceremonious end after a season where the Tigers went 45-18 overall.

They were picked as the No. 11 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament before the upset. Darden made the NCAA Tournament with Clemson in each season that he was with the program.

The transfer portal wire provides a real-time feed of player activity, including basic player profile information, transfer portal ranking and original On3 Industry recruiting ranking, as well as NIL valuation (name, image and likeness).

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.