Clemson Addresses Secondary Woes with Portal Additions, Including a Freakish Athlete
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The transfer portal became both a necessity and an opportunity for Clemson this offseason, particularly in the secondary, where breakdowns in coverage defined too many Saturdays in 2025.
The Tigers added eight defensive players through the portal this week, four of them in the secondary, after a season in which the Tigers surrendered 251 passing yards per game, No. 118 nationally, and routinely paid for coverage busts. Head coach Dabo Swinney and defensive coordinator Tom Allen both acknowledged the issue throughout the fall, often pointing to safety play as a critical area for growth.
That urgency intensified when starters Khalil Barnes and Ricardo Jones, a second-team All-ACC selection, entered the transfer portal. Their departures left Ronan Hanafin as the lone returning safety who logged snaps in every game.
“I just think as a whole, with the secondary, especially safety room, I think some younger guys, once again, a chance for them to grow and step up this bowl period,” Allen said when asked about the situation at safety before the Pinstripe Bowl matchup with his former team Penn State. “And then obviously, into the off-season and the spring. But then also being able to address that through the portal.”
Allen continued, “Obviously Coach [Swinney] leads the way on that, but I see the need for that, for sure. To be able to go out and get guys that have played this game at this level. It’s still about getting the right fit, for the locker room, the culture, and the way you want to play defense. Definitely see that being a big need for us, and excited for that process to begin here.”
Jerome Carter III (6'1, 190), from Old Dominion, became the first safety commitment. The son of former St. Louis Rams draft pick (2005) Jerome Carter Jr. totaled 75 tackles and six interceptions last season, matching Jones’ interception total that led Clemson.
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The Tigers followed with another experienced safety in Corey Myrick, who committed on Wednesday after a productive 2025 season at Southern Miss. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Myrick posted 91 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, and two interceptions, offering both length and physicality to the back end.
The back end faces additional change with the loss of cornerback Avieon Terrell, a 2025 All-American and Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist. Clemson also saw Shelton Lewis transfer and Jeadyn Lukus graduate, thinning the corner group.
That leaves Ashton Hampton, Branden Strozier, who impressed in a starting role during the Pinstripe Bowl, and Corian Gipson as the only returning corners with significant game experience.
While Clemson signed freshmen Shavar Young Jr. and Marcell Gipson, the staff wanted proven talent. The answer came in the form of two former four-star recruits.
Penn State transfer Elliott Washington, Clemson’s first portal commit of the cycle, reunites with Allen, who coached him during his time with the Nittany Lions. Washington played 366 career snaps at Penn State, including 256 last season, and recorded 18 tackles, three pass breakups, and one interception before entering the portal on Dec. 11.
At 5-foot-11, 206 pounds, Washington brings elite athleticism. He was named to Bruce Feldman’s 2025 College Football Freaks List after being clocked at 4.32 in the 40-yard dash, reaching 23 mph on GPS, leaping 37.5 inches vertically, broad jumping 10-foot-7, and squatting 565 pounds (a Penn State defensive backs record).
Auburn transfer Donovan Starr may be just as explosive. The 5-foot-11, 182-pound corner recorded a 6-foot-9 high jump, ran a 4.32 40-yard dash, and posted a 10.56 time in the 100 meters. The true freshman appeared in nine games primarily on special teams and in reserve roles and arrives in Clemson with three years of eligibility remaining.
Myrick and Carter will each have two years of eligibility remaining and are expected to compete immediately for starting safety roles. Starr could slot behind Hampton and Strozier early while developing, and Washington is projected to compete at the Tiger/Nickel position — a role that demands versatility, speed, and physicality.
Clemson may not be finished. The staff could still add another defensive back, either at safety or corner, as the portal cycle continues.
Keep up with the latest additions and departures by clicking on our Portal Watch.
