Former Clemson offensive lineman announces transfer commitment inside ACC

Former Clemson offensive lineman Paul Tchio has found a new home. Tchio tweeted on Friday afternoon that he is transferring to Georgia Tech. He originally left Clemson to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal late in the season.

Let’s turn the city up🔥 #4the404🐝 pic.twitter.com/evdOZ1dXe8

— Paul Tchio (@paul__taco) December 17, 2021

Tchio, a Alpharetta, Georgia, native, is returning to his home state to play for Georgia Tech. He is a former On3 Consensus four-star recruit, and was rated as the 22nd offensive tackle in the 2020 class. Tchio played in five games this season for Clemson, including one start. At the time of Tchio’s entrance into the transfer portal, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said that he was jut looking for a new opportunity.

“Nothing catches me off guard in 2021. Nothing surprises me. Absolutely nothing. Absolutely zero,” Swinney said. “That’s the world we’re in. … Just wants a different opportunity and that’s what we have in college football.”

Tchio, Georgia Tech’s newest offensive lineman, originally chose Clemson over offers from Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Florida and others in his recruitment.

Georgia Tech hopes Tchio can help anchor the Yellow Jackets’ turnaround

Georgia Tech athletic director Todd Stansbury decided to retain head football coach Geoff Collins despite recent struggles. Collins has just nine wins in three seasons, but the Yellow Jackets have been competitive in many games this season.

“I have my man,” Stansbury said of the future of Collins at Georgia Tech. “But now it’s time where, how do we get over the hump?”

Georgia Tech is looking for wholesale improvement across the roster. Adding Tchio is a pretty good start for Georgia Tech.

“Between the offense and defense and special teams, we’ve got to shrink that differential,” Stansbury said. “And if we can do that by 10 points, you’re looking at a totally different season. Where Coach is dialing in on what do, we need to do to close that differential, and it’s my job as the athletic director to give him and our players the resources they need to be successful to do that.

“I know he’s going to review kind of what it is that we need to do, where we are falling short, where there are holes in what we’re doing and we’re going to work together to get those things fixed.”