The Clemson Tigers and head coach Dabo Swinney didn’t close out the season the way they had hoped. After barely securing a spot in the College Football Playoff as the No. 12 seed, they were eliminated with a 38-24 loss to the No. 5 Texas Longhorns. With the season now behind them, the focus shifts to preparing for the future, which for many programs has come to heavily rely on the transfer portal.
Unfortunately, Swinney and the Tigers now face the task of replacing a key contributor, as sophomore defensive end A.J. Hoffler has announced his decision to transfer. Hoffler has been a part of Clemson’s rotation over the past two seasons.
BREAKING: Clemson EDGE AJ Hoffler plans to enter the Transfer Portal, he tells @on3sports
The 6’4 255 EDGE appeared in every game for the Tigers this year & 7 last year
Will have 2 years of eligibility remaining https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/TdvWWlENIz
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 26, 2024
Over his two seasons at Clemson, A.J. Hoffler recorded 16 tackles, two tackles for loss, and one pass deflection. A highly regarded recruit out of high school, Hoffler was ranked as the No. 37 EDGE and No. 312 overall player in the class of 2023 by 247Sports. He chose Clemson over offers from prominent programs such as Auburn, Florida, Michigan, Penn State, and Ole Miss.
Fortunately for Clemson, the impact of Hoffler’s departure is softened by the addition of the program’s first-ever incoming defensive transfer under Dabo Swinney. That newcomer is Will Heldt, ranked by 247Sports as the No. 9 EDGE player in the transfer portal.
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