CLEMSON – When “Clemson” came up on Will Heldt’s cell phone last December, the former Purdue defensive end was not expecting it.

Heldt was still living in West Lafayette, Indiana. He had recently put his name into the transfer portal after experiencing back-to-back losing seasons at Purdue.

He figured he might get some interest from some top-level teams, but he thought it might come from other Big Ten schools or teams in the Midwest. He was not expecting one of the premier programs in the South to be calling.

He especially was not expecting Clemson. Dabo Swinney and the Tigers were notorious for not being players in the transfer portal world. However, that all changed with the recruitment of wide receiver Tristan Smith, linebacker Jeremaiah Alexander and Heldt.

“Coach (Chris) Rumph had called me, and I saw Clemson on my phone. I was like, ‘Clemson’, I did not expect it,” Heldt said. “I called and talked to him for a while, and the next thing I know, an hour later, I get a facetime call from a random number, so I open it, and Dabo Swinney was sitting there.”

Heldt admitted he was startled to see Swinney’s face on his phone.

“I did not expect that,” he said. “He did not even text, he just called. I was a little starstruck seeing him, but he is a real down-to-earth guy. It was good and I was excited to hear from them, obviously.”

Clemson was not the only team to reach out to Heldt. He was pursued by some other big-name schools, most notably LSU and Texas A&M.

“You think you have a gage where the interest will be at, but at the end of the day, you never know until it is official,” Heldt said. “It was a little bit exciting to know the teams that were reaching out, but I found my place and I am happy where I am at.”

Heldt is happy at Clemson because he knows he is at a place that not only wants to win, but knows how to win, and has won at a high level a lot over the years. The last two years, he has played for a Purdue program that has posted a 5-19 overall record, including a 1-11 mark in 2024.

During that same stretch, Clemson is 19-8, won an ACC Championship and played in the College Football Playoff.

“Nobody is hungrier for a win than I am,” Heldt said.

And that is why the 6-foot-6, 265-pound rising junior is at Clemson.

“I am salivating to get those victories,” Heldt said. “To me, that is what I am all about. It is why I am here.  I want to win games and be a part of a team that competes for a national championship.”

Heldt might be the missing piece the Tigers need on defense. Last year, he finished with 56 tackles (10.0 for loss), five sacks and a fumble recovery that he returned 16 yards for a touchdown. He recorded 2.5 sacks and the 16-yard-scoop-and-score in back-to-back games against ranked opponents Illinois and Oregon last October.

–photo by Dawson Powers