Stay or go? Top Clemson transfer Will Heldt makes 2026 NFL decision
Clemson’s best transfer is coming back.
Junior defensive end Will Heldt will return to Clemson for his 2026 senior season instead of entering the NFL Draft early, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Thamel reported on Monday night that Heldt had signed a revenue-sharing deal to return to Clemson in 2026, citing Heldt’s agency, ASCEND FOOTBALL.
Heldt also confirmed the news on his personal Instagram page on Tuesday morning, posting a picture of himself with the words “We’re back.”
In the caption, Heldt wrote: “One more year.”
Heldt’s return is a big win for Clemson heading into next year.
He wasn’t considered a sure-fire first-round prospect, but his production at Clemson turned heads and quickly positioned him as a solid NFL prospect.
Heldt (6-6, 260) committed to Clemson out of the transfer portal from Purdue last season after also visiting LSU and Texas A&M. He was a massive addition to the Tigers’ defensive unit and their most consistent edge rusher all season.
Heldt led Clemson with 7.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss and ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the ACC in those categories, respectively. Heldt had 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in the Tigers’ season-ending win at rival South Carolina.
In his first season for coach Dabo Swinney, the former Big Ten standout also contributed 38 total tackles, a forced fumble and two pass breakups.
Heldt’s decision doesn’t come as a huge surprise: As of Monday, Heldt hadn’t declared for the draft, and he was on campus, with the team and participating in portions of bowl practice open to the media on Monday afternoon.
Swinney also confirmed Heldt would play in the Pinstripe Bowl vs. Penn State on Dec. 27 in New York. But, before Monday’s official announcement, there was always a chance Heldt could’ve played in the bowl, then decided to go pro.
Updating Clemson’s NFL Draft departures
With Heldt’s decision, Clemson now has clarity from all of its underclassmen players who had remaining eligibility and had to decide on entering the draft.
Redshirt junior WR Antonio Williams, junior CB Avieon Terrell, junior DT Peter Woods and junior DE T.J. Parker have already announced they’ll be leaving Clemson after this season and going to the NFL Draft.
Terrell, Woods, Parker and redshirt senior DT DeMonte Capehart all opted out of playing in the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl vs. Penn State on Dec. 27, and Williams miss Clemson’s bowl game because of a shoulder injury.
That makes Heldt’s star power in the game that much greater.
In total, Clemson will be down 27 scholarship players for the bowl game and six defensive starters from its last game vs. South Carolina: Terrell, Woods, Parker, Capehart, SS Khalil Barnes (transfer) and LB Wade Woodaz (injury).
This story was originally published December 15, 2025 at 7:48 PM.
