One former Clemson portal target is heading elsewhere.

UT Martin DE Keyshawn Johnson committed to Syracuse late Friday. Johnson visited Clemson earlier in the week, but the Tigers have since signed Colorado transfer London Merritt.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Johnson was the OVC-Big South Defensive Player of the Year in 2025. He set a new UT Martin single-season record with 13.5 sacks while also racking up 20 tackles for loss, 53 total tackles and two forced fumbles over 12 games.

In 2024, Johnson played in 13 games for UT Martin, compiling 24 total tackles, four tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two pass breakups.

The Tigers have already landed eight players from the portal, including three defensive linemen. On top of Merritt, Clemson has landed two defensive tackles in Oklahoma transfer Markus Strong and West Georgia transfer Kourtney Kelly.