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Purdue transfer EDGE Will Heldt signs with Clemson

Matt Connollyby:Matt Connolly12/19/24

MattConnollyOn3

Purdue's Will Heldt
Purdue's Will Heldt (Chad Krockover)

It didn’t take Clemson long to return to the NCAA Transfer Portal for help. The Tigers have landed former Purdue EDGE Will Heldt from the portal, Clemson announced on Thursday.

Heldt chose the Tigers over Texas A&M and LSU. He was ranked as the No. 1 EDGE in the portal, according to On3. Heldt is the first defensive scholarship player Clemson has added from the transfer portal.

Heldt had an excellent season for the Boilermakers in 2024, finishing with 56 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and five sacks. He added five quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.

As for Clemson, the Tigers have now added two transfers this week as Heldt joins Southeast Missouri State WR transfer Tristan Smith in committing to the Tigers.

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Heldt and Smith are the first non-quarterback transfers ever for Clemson and the first players being brought in from the portal to fill a key role.

The Tigers are getting ready to face Texas in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday.

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

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Southeast Missouri State WR transfer Tristan Smith commits to Clemson

Southeast Missouri State WR transfer Tristan Smith committed to Clemson, he revealed on Instagram on Monday.

Smith is Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney’s first-ever transfer portal commit who isn’t a quarterback, and he appears to be a good one. In 2024, Smith logged 76 receptions for 934 yards and six touchdowns for SEMO. He most recently turned in a 10-catch, 139-yard performance in a first-round FCS playoff matchup against Illinois State. He scored a touchdown during that matchup.

Before coming to SEMO, Smith played two seasons at Hutchinson Community College. As a freshman in 2022, he played in seven games and caught two receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. One year after he did that, Smith caught 14 passes for 140 yards and one touchdown across 10 games.

He’ll look to make an immediate impact in Clemson’s wide receiver room, who did not have a 1,000-yard receiver during the regular season in 2024. However, quarterback Cade Klubnik has distributed the ball well this season as eight receivers have over 100 yards receiving on the season and three have at least 500 or more.