Transfer update: Where former Clemson football players landed for 2026 season
Clemson football added a record 10 transfer players this offseason.
After their worst season in 15 years, though, the Tigers also saw significant turnover. Coach Dabo Swinney’s team lost 12 players to the portal in January, including a number of high-level starters who are now at SEC schools.
With the Tigers opening 2026 spring practice Wednesday, here’s a quick look at where transfers from last year’s Clemson team landed.
This list doesn’t include former Cal linebacker Luke Ferrelli, who initially signed with Clemson before re-entering the portal at the last minute, flipping to Ole Miss in mid-January and triggering an ongoing NCAA tampering investigation.
S Khalil Barnes, Georgia
Barnes, an Athens native, joins Kirby Smart and UGA after three productive seasons at Clemson. Despite a statistical drop-off as a junior, he was a reliable three-year starter who made plays (seven interceptions, three forced fumbles) and started 30 of 37 games in his Clemson career.
DT Stephiylan Green, LSU
Green (6-4, 290) was a big loss for Clemson literally and metaphorically. The redshirt junior broke into the Tigers’ rotation in 2025 and often started ahead of DeMonte Capehart. The former four-star recruit will now suit up for Lane Kiffin and LSU, who host Clemson in Baton Rouge in their 2026 season opener.
S Ricardo Jones, Vanderbilt
Coverage slip-ups aside, it’s never ideal to lose a player who tied for the ACC lead and was tied for No. 2 nationally with six interceptions. Jones will take his talents to a Vanderbilt program on the rise after a memorable sophomore season with Clemson where he picked off six passes (including a game-ending pick-six against South Carolina) and had 46 tackles and five pass breakups.
TE Josh Sapp, West Virginia
The son of former Clemson QB/LB Patrick Sapp, Josh Sapp leaves for West Virginia and the Big 12 after appearing in 41 games over four years with the Tigers … but only starting two career games and catching 24 career passes.
DB Shelton Lewis, Arkansas
Lewis’ Clemson career felt promising after he appeared in every game and made noise at cornerback as a true freshman, but injuries and inconsistent playing time prompted him to take a mid-year redshirt season in 2025. He joins Arkansas, an SEC team entering its first year under former Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield.
LB Dee Crayton, UNLV
Crayton, a backup linebacker, never started a game at Clemson. His new teammates at UNLV, coached by former Mississippi State/Florida coach Dan Mullen, will include former Tigers receiver Troy Stellato (who played at Kentucky in 2025).
RB Keith Adams Jr., Georgia State
Adams turned heads in January when he posted on X that he “was not used the right way.” A bruising running back who saw minimal snaps last fall, Adams could be in line for more touches at Georgia State, a Sun Belt school in Atlanta.
LB Jamal Anderson, SMU
Anderson never found a fit in defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s scheme and took a mid-season redshirt in 2025. He’ll remain in the ACC with SMU.
TE Markus Dixon, Oregon
Dixon switched positions from tight end to defensive end last year in an effort for more playing time, but it didn’t help. Oregon, which has made back-to-back College Football Playoffs under Dan Lanning, signed Dixon to play as a tight end.
OL Rowan Byrne, UNC
Byrne will play for Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels after spending one year at Clemson. The former three-star recruit only appeared in one game in 2025.
S Rob Billings, Jacksonville State
Billings played special teams and not much else at Clemson (60 defensive snaps in 32 career games). He’ll drop down to the Conference USA level at Jax State.
ATH Marquise Henderson, Samford
This transfer comes with an asterisk, as Clemson dismissed Henderson from the program in June before he played a game (he was involved in a locker room altercation and allegedly threatened to harm teammates days earlier). The talented in-state running back/receiver will try to revive his career at FCS Samford, where former Clemson analyst John Grass is the new coach.
Other Clemson transfers of note
Two other transfers worth noting are receiver Parker Fulghum (ULM) and quarterback Cade Trotter (Arkansas). Both were on Clemson’s 105-man roster but essentially functioned as walk-ons before transferring to other Division I schools.
This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Transfer update: Where former Clemson football players landed for 2026 season."
