The offseason has been a tumultuous one in college football, but let’s take a deeper look at the rosters of two of the ACC’s finest.
Clemson and Florida State had a dramatic overtime affair early in the season, but as with the sport today, the two teams that meet in 2024 will be very different. Here’s the full roster analysis, especially on the transfer portal side.
Clemson Transfer Losses – 9
-S Andrew Mukuba
-RB Domonique Thomas
-DL David Ojiegbe
-CB Toriano Pride Jr.
-TE Sage Ennis
-WR Beaux Collins
-WR Brannon Spector
-OL Mitchell Mayes
-QB Hunter Helms
Clemson Transfer Additions – 0
-N/A
FSU Transfer Losses – 17
QB Tate Rodemaker
QB AJ Duffy
RB CJ Campbell
RB Rodney Hill
WR Goldie Lawrence
TE Preston Daniel
TE Markeston Douglas
OL Bless Harris
OL Daughtry Richardson
OL Thomas Shrader
OL Qae’Shon Sapp
DE Gilber Edmond
DL Ayobami Tifase
DL Dennis Briggs Jr.
DT Malcolm Ray
LB Dylan Brown-Turner
K Tyler Keltner
FSU Transfer Additions – 11
QB DJ Uiagalelei (four-star transfer)
RB Jaylin Lucas (three-star)
WR Jalen Brown (four-star)
WR Malik Benson (four-star)
OL Terrance Ferguson (four-star)
DE Marvin Jones Jr. (four-star)
DL Grady Kelly (three-star)
DL Sione Lolohea (three-star)
DL Tomiwa Durojaiye (three-star)
CB Davonte Brown (three-star)
CB Earl Little II (four-star)
Both teams were hit hard by the transfer portal in losses, but only one has responded with new additions. With a multitude of four-star transfer according to 247Sports, the Seminoles mitigated their heavy losses accordingly.
Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei headlines the group for obvious reasons, and the storyline comes with him being a former Tiger. On top of his decision, Florida State poached three players from Alabama.
Clemson transfer grade: F
FSU transfer grade: B
Taking a look at the recruiting classes, both programs pulled in a strong freshman group. With rankings extremely close, it’s hard to truly pinpoint which had a better class until they take the field.
Both are ranked in the 10-14 range across 247Sports, On3 and Rivals. That’s how tight the margin is. Clemson is headlined by wide receivers five-star Bryant Wesco and four-star TJ Moore on top of five-star linebacker Sammy Brown.
Florida State’s class is led by four-star cornerbacks Charles Lester III and Landen Thomas. Four-star quarterback Luke Kromenhoek could be their future, but the addition of DJ Uiagalelei will delay that transition.
The difference between these two programs continues to lie in the transfer portal while the Tigers are neck-and-neck at the high school level.
The good news is Clemson isn’t struck as hard by the portal. The bad news is it doesn’t take advantage of it.
Clemson offseason grade: C
FSU offseason grade: B