Clemson safety RJ Mickens addresses transfer rumors: 'I don't even know where they came from'

There were rumors during the offseason that Clemson safety RJ Mickens was going to enter the transfer portal for his final year of college football.

However, that ended up not being the case, and according to Mickens, was never even under consideration. The fifth-year senior said at the ACC Kickoff Event that he only considered turning pro or returning to play his final season for the Tigers.

“A lot of those rumors, I don’t even know where they came from,” RJ Mickens said. “I was talking to my dad and coach [Dabo] Swinney and coach [Mickey] Conn. It was really just between the NFL and coming back here – declaring for the draft or coming back.”

Ultimately, after weighing his options, Mickens decided to return to school. He has more that he wants to accomplish individually, as well as with the Tigers.

“I just felt like there was unfinished business for me personally and for this team,” Mickens said. “Just knowing what the guys in that building are about and coach Swinney and how loyal and great a mentor and everything he’s been in my life just really played a big part in that. And then coach Conn as well.”

RJ Mickens finished third on the team with 50 tackles last season. He added 4 tackles for loss and 4 pass breakups. The Texas native appeared in 11 games, making nine starts. He is hoping to have an even better year in 2024.

“I’ve got a lot of room to grow personally as a player. I feel like there’s still holes in my game that I can patch up and get better at,” Mickens said. “And there were holes in the team last year that we can patch up and get better. I’m really excited to see the momentum we’ve got going forward.”

RJ Mickens on Dabo Swinney’s transfer portal approach: ‘I truly respect him for that’

One of the reasons RJ Mickens is so appreciative of Dabo Swinney is his transfer portal approach.

The Clemson head coach isn’t necessarily against adding transfers, but every key contributor on the Clemson roster signed with the Tigers out of high school.

One of those key contributors is safety RJ Mickens, who attended the ACC Kickoff Event ahead of the 2024 season. Mickens was asked for his thoughts on Swinney’s approach to the transfer portal and revealed that he loves it.

“I truly respect him for that. It’s really respectable just knowing that he has full confidence in the guys that are in the locker room and in the guys that he recruits,” RJ Mickens said. “I mean that’s all it comes down to is trusting.”

Swinney pointed out that Clemson added transfers two of the past three years and tried to add one this offseason, too. However, the two transfers for 2022 and 2023 were both backup quarterbacks. The Tigers did try to add an offensive lineman from the portal this offseason, but they were turned down.

Mickens pointed out that not many players transfer out of Clemson, so there aren’t a lot of opportunities to turn to the portal.

“Not a lot of people leave our program, so when a lot of people leave, then you have to bring people in and so forth,” he said. “But him just really trusting and believing in the next guy up that we’ve got. If something happens, he’s not just going to bring somebody in. He’s going to wait and give somebody a chance that’s been there and not been able to play. So that’s really respectable of him.”