All-conference big man commits to Clemson basketball out of transfer portal
Clemson basketball continues to do work the transfer portal.
The Tigers on Friday picked up their second portal commitment from former Samford forward Dylan Faulkner, per multiple national reports.
Faulkner is Clemson’s second transfer, joining former Notre Dame guard Cole Certa, who committed Sunday. Faulkner reportedly visited Clemson’s campus last weekend with Certa.
Faulkner (6-9, 215) was Samford’s second-leading scorer this year at 17.2 points per game and its leading rebounder at 8.6 boards per game. Faulkner also averaged a team-high 1.5 blocks per game and 1.8 assists.
He was named to the All-SoCon first team as well as the league’s all-defensive team in his first year at Samford. Faulkner, a Georgia native, previously played two seasons at Lipscomb and will have one year of eligibility remaining at Clemson.
Cincinnati and Georgia were also reportedly in the mix for Faulkner. Clemson had a strong tie with the big man, though, as Clemson coach Brad Brownell announced Samford’s Tyler Murray as his new general manager earlier this week.
Murray spent 2025-26 as the associate head coach for Lennie Acuff at Samford. Acuff and Murray recruited Faulkner to Lipscomb, where he played his first two seasons. Faulkner followed both coaches to Samford last year.
Clemson finished 24-11 and 12-6 in the ACC last year. The Tigers won 20-plus games for the fourth season in a row and made a third straight NCAA Tournament for the first time ever under Brownell. Clemson lost to Iowa in the first round.
Faulker will provide necessary frontcourt depth following the departures of top Clemson bigs RJ Godfrey and Nick Davidson. Returning starter Carter Welling is also rehabbing a torn ACL injury, and his recovery timeline is unclear.
With Faulkner’s commitment, Clemson basketball is up to 12 players on its roster. The Tigers have space to add three more transfer players if they choose. The NCAA’s roster limit for men’s basketball teams is 15.
Clemson basketball 2026 roster outlook
Out of eligibility (5)
- G Jestin Porter
- G Dillon Hunter
- G Butta Johnson
- F RJ Godfrey
- F Nick Davidson
Transferring out (1)
- F Jake Wahlin (BYU)
Transferring in (2)
- G Cole Certa (Notre Dame)
- F Dylan Faulkner (Samford)
Returning/incoming (10)
- G Zac Foster
- G Ace Buckner
- G Harris Reynolds (2026 signee)
- G Amare James (2026 signee)
- F Chase Thompson
- F Dallas Thomas
- F Carter Welling
- F Blake Davidson
- F/C Trent Steinour
- F/C Will Stevens (2026 signee)
This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 12:59 PM.
