Clemson searches for offensive lineman in transfer portal. Here’s what’s left
Dabo Swinney has remained set on his perception of the transfer portal: Just like one would with a bandage or medication, use it only when needed.
That time came this offseason with Swinney, who is going into his 14th full season as Clemson’s head coach. Swinney and Clemson are welcoming back quarterback Hunter Johnson, who originally left the Tigers’ program in 2017 for Northwestern, and is back as a graduate transfer.
It won’t end there, though, with the Tigers seeking to add an offensive lineman to the fold.
Injuries and graduation have left the unit in need of bodies. Swinney’s prioritization of high school players allowed him to pick up Collin Sadler and Blake Miller during the early signing period. Both are midyear enrollees and competed in the spring game on Saturday. Still, the Tigers are looking to add one more lineman, using the portal to do it.
“It’s gotta be right,” Swinney said of the potential portal selection. “We’re certainly going to evaluate that between now and the end of May.”
Time is winding down, however, and the selection of offensive lineman in the portal gets slimmer and slimmer. Former three-star offensive tackle Tyler Steen, for one, left Vanderbilt for the transfer portal in January and Alabama picked him up on Tuesday.
Georgia offensive linemen Amarius Mims and Clay Webb, both of whom were five-star recruits, opted recently to transfer, adding some intrigue to the process. They will be prized prospects, having been part of the national championship-winning Bulldogs squad. Both were offered by Clemson coming out of high school, with Webb being recruited by former Tigers defensive tackles coach and recruiting coordinator Todd Bates.
While Webb didn’t see the field for the Bulldogs this past season, Mims was a backup and played in eight games. That didn’t include the 2021 season opener against Clemson.
Here are three more of the best available offensive linemen currently in the transfer portal:
Tyler Johnson
Transferring from: Texas
Eligibility: Immediate
About Johnson: A four-star prospect coming out of Oak Ridge (Texas) High School, Johnson came in under Tom Herman, who was fired following the 2021 season. Johnson was the eighth-ranked offensive tackle in the Class of 2019 and ninth-ranked recruit in the state of Texas, but didn’t see the field much for the Longhorns. He redshirted in 2019, started in the Alamo Bowl in 2020 and didn’t play at all in 2021.
Chris Akporoghene
Transferring from: Tennessee
Eligibility: Immediate, three years
About Akporoghene: He appeared in only one game last year for a total of seven games played during his time with the Volunteers. Originally from Nigeria, the former three-star recruit and IMG Academy alum split time between special teams and the offensive line for a total of 20 snaps as a redshirt freshman in 2020. Most of those snaps (12) were spent on special teams.
X’Zauvea Gadlin
Transferring from: Tulsa
Eligibility: Immediate, two years
About Gadlin: A two-year starter, the former three-star recruit from Texas played one of the guard positions for the Hurricanes in 12 games this past season. He opted out of the 2020 season, but was the starting right tackle for all 12 games, playing every snap in 11 of those contests, of the 2019 campaign. Gadlin was also the recipient of a $10,000 scholarship as part of the American Athletic Conference’s Go Teach Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway.
This story was originally published April 13, 2022 at 6:14 AM.
