Where Clemson DE Ranks Among Most Impactful Transfers
By: Gavin Oliver August 9, 2025

Where does Clemson defensive end Will Heldt rank among the transfers who will impact their new teams the most this season?

The Athletic ranked the 100 most impactful transfers of 2025, based on feedback from numerous FBS coaches and staff members.

Heldt, who transferred to Clemson this offseason following two productive seasons at Purdue, landed at No. 43 on the list.

“The Tigers have two potential first-round picks in T.J. Parker and Peter Woods. Heldt provides new defensive coordinator Tom Allen with another high-quality pass rusher who could see a lot of one-on-one matchups,” The Athletic wrote. “The 6-6, 260-pound junior produced 28 pressures, 10 tackles for loss and five sacks while receiving most of the attention last season as a sophomore. ‘His growth the last few years has been impressive,’ Allen said this spring.”

Heldt played in all 24 games for the Boilermakers from 2023-24, totally 68 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss, five sacks and a fumble recovery across his two seasons.

Last season, he started all 12 games and finished second on the team in tackles for loss and sacks while finishing fourth with 56 total tackles. The Carmel, Ind., native posted 2.5 of his 5.0 sacks, and a 16-yard scoop-and-score, in back-to-back games against ranked opponents in Illinois and Oregon.

Clemson defensive ends coach Chris Rumph said recently that Heldt, who joined the Tigers with two years of eligibility left, has already been an “unbelievable” addition.

 “His leadership has been unbelievable,” Rumph said during Clemson’s annual media outing last month. “I think what he has done for the room, not only as a football player, but also how he lives his life off the field… how he trains, how he takes care of his body, I just think that is something those guys can learn from.”

As for players Clemson is slated to face off against this fall, a slew of them are ranked in the top 50 of The Athletic’s 100 most impactful transfers of 2025: LSU DB A.J. Haulcy (No. 6), Duke QB Darian Mensah (No. 12), North Carolina QB Gio Lopez (No. 21), LSU WR Nic Anderson (No. 22), Florida State WR Duce Robinson (No. 28), LSU WR Barion Brown (No. 30), LSU edge Patrick Payton (No. 34), LSU DB Mansoor Delane (No. 42), Florida State CB Jeremiah Wilson (No. 47) and Louisville QB Miller Moss (No. 50).