Clemson football losing promising freshman to transfer portal
A promising true freshman who redshirted his first season with Clemson football is entering the transfer portal, according to reports.
247Sports and On3 reported Tuesday that Tigers freshman defensive end David Ojiegbe has entered the transfer portal. Ojiegbe, a former four-star recruit from the Washington, D.C. area, played 11 snaps over two games while redshirting this season and was in line for more playing time in 2024.
Ojiegbe’s primary recruiter in high school, former defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall, is also no longer on Clemson’s staff. Hall left the program last week in what was framed as a “mutual decision” with coach Dabo Swinney, and Chris Rumph was formally hired as the team’s new defensive ends coach Monday.
Swinney spoke highly of Ojiegbe in the preseason, saying in August that the former four-star recruit and MaxPreps Defensive Player of the Year for Washington, D.C., “looks like a guy in an NFL camp right now.”
“You might not ever sign a guy stronger,” Swinney said. “This kid is naturally gifted.”
But Ojiegbe ended up redshirting his only season with the Tigers, who had plenty of depth at defensive end with starters Xavier Thomas and Justin Mascoll, standout true freshman T.J. Parker and veteran Cade Denhoff. Fellow true freshman defensive end AJ Hoffler also out-snapped Ojiegbe, playing 74 snaps across seven games.
Ojiegbe played three snaps against FCS Charleston Southern and eight snaps against Florida Atlantic while redshirting. Under new NCAA guidance, he would’ve been eligible to play in the Dec. 29 Gator Bowl against Kentucky without losing his redshirt status.
Ojiegbe (6-foot-3, 240 pounds) is Clemson’s first true freshman to enter the portal this cycle and could command significant interest as a young prospect who ranked as the No. 34 edge rusher and No. 291 overall recruit in the Class of 2023 and had 16 sacks as a high school senior.
Ojiegbe is Clemson’s eighth overall portal entry this cycle.
Clemson football 2023 transfers
- QB Hunter Helms, Nov. 28
- OL Mitchell Mayes, Nov. 29
- WR Beaux Collins, Nov. 30
- TE Sage Ennis, Nov. 30
- CB Toriano Pride Jr., Nov. 30
- RB Domonique Thomas, Dec. 4
- S Andrew Mukuba, Dec. 5
- DE David Ojiegbe, Dec. 5
This story was originally published December 5, 2023 at 12:18 PM with the headline "Clemson football losing promising freshman to transfer portal."
