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Max Olson, ESPN Staff Writer
Purdue defensive end Will Heldt is transferring to Clemson, his agents from Grand Central Sports Management told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday.
Heldt will become the first scholarship defensive player to transfer to Clemson under longtime coach Dabo Swinney. He’s currently the No. 3 defensive end in ESPN’s transfer rankings.
The 6-foot-6, 265-pound pass rusher chose the Tigers over Texas A&M and LSU. He’ll have two more seasons of eligibility.
Heldt recorded 56 tackles, 16 pressures, 10 tackles for loss and 5 sacks while starting every game as a sophomore this season.
The Tigers have typically resisted recruiting players out of the transfer portal under Swinney and have signed just two — backup quarterbacks Hunter Johnson and Paul Tyson — since the portal officially launched in 2018.
Earlier this week, Swinney told reporters he was still looking to bring in a defensive end for the 2025 season to help replace a recruit who decommitted. Bryce Davis, the No. 82 prospect in the 2025 ESPN 300, flipped his commitment from Clemson to Duke in August.
Heldt becomes Clemson’s second transfer commit of the month, joining Southeast Missouri State wide receiver Tristan Smith. The Tigers have had just three scholarship players enter the transfer portal since the end of the regular season, but two were reserve wide receivers.