Clemson’s men’s basketball team grabbed perhaps the most impactful piece to its 2023 recruiting class Sunday.

Joe Girard III, who verbally committed to the Tigers over LSU, has one season of eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer after spending the previous four seasons at Syracuse, where the 6-foot-1, 190-pound guard scored more than 1,600 career points. He led the Orange in scoring last season at 16.4 points per game.

What does Girard’s commitment mean for Clemson heading into the 2023-24 season? A few different things.

First, the Tigers are adding one of the most prolific shooters from the portal, which should help replace some of the perimeter scoring Clemson is losing with the departures of Braden Galloway and Hunter Tyson. Girard shot better than 36% from 3-point range for his career at Syracuse with the last two seasons being his best.

Girard shot 38.1% from deep this past season and averaged nearly three 3-pointers per game. As a junior during the 2021-22 season, he shot a career-best 40.3% clip from beyond the arc. He’s also averaged at least 12 points in every season of his college career to this point, so Girard has proven he can consistently score thanks in large part to his long-range acumen.

But Girard also brings versatility to the Tigers’ backcourt. While he primarily plays off the ball at this point of his career, Girard began his time at Syracuse as a point guard. He’s averaged at least three assists per game in every season of his college career, including a career-high 4.2 per game during the 2021-22 season.

Girard has struggled with turnovers at times (2.8 per game in 2021-22 and 2.4 this past season), another indicator of what his more natural position is. He’s more of a shotmaker than he is a facilitator. Clemson has veteran point guard Chase Hunter and rising sophomore Josh Beadle back in the fold, but Girard is more than capable of sliding in at the point in a pinch should Clemson find itself in foul trouble at the position. That versatility could also allow Clemson coach Brad Brownell to experiment with different lineups.

Now that Girard is in the boat, Clemson’s roster for next season is set barring any last-minute changes. With star big P.J. Hall expected to return for his senior season, Clemson landed Girard with its last available scholarship. So unless the Tigers lose a player to the portal in the next few days (college basketball’s portal window will close Thursday), the Tigers are maxed out. Girard joins wing Jack Clark, guard Jake Heidbreder and center Bas Leyte as Clemson’s portal additions.

Girard, who started 123 games at Syracuse, has the most established resume of any of them and should give the Tigers a significant boost in their quest to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021.