Clemson Legends Headline Hall of Fame Class
By: Staff Report April 28, 2026

CLEMSON — Clemson announced its 2026 Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame Class on Tuesday, which included two football legends that helped build Clemson into a national power in the 2010s, and an Olympic Champion.

Grady Jarrett, an All-Pro defensive tackle in the NFL, and former All-America center Dalton Freeman, headline Clemson’s 2026 Class along with Olympic Champion Brianna Rollins. Both Freeman and Jarrett were on Clemson’s ACC Championship team in 2011, the program’s first in 20 years at the time and the first of nine from 2011-2024 under head coach Dabo Swinney. The two also helped Clemson knock off No. 9 LSU in the 2012 Peach Bowl, which launched the program into national prominence.

Rollins put women’s track at Clemson on the map, winning gold for Team USA in the 100-meter hurdles in the 2016 Olympic Games. She was also a World Champion in 2013 and won three national championships at Clemson.

The new hall of fame class also includes basketball great K.J. McDaniels, baseball’s Andy D’Alessio, women’s basketball’s Laura Cottrell and national champion golfer Matt Hendrix.

Clemson Athletics and the Block C Club have announced the 2026 Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame class, an 11-member group that reflects sustained excellence across eras, sports and competitive levels. The class includes 10 athletes from seven sports and a longtime department physician with more than three decades of success.

The 2026 Class will be inducted in conjunction with the Sept. 12 football game against Georgia Southern. 

Collectively, the class compiled more than 40 All-ACC selections, 20 All-America honors, 15 ACC championships, and three individual team and national titles, and highlighted by an Olympic gold medalist.

The group also features four ACC Athlete of the Year honorees, a Bowerman Award winner, and accomplished professional careers, including All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition and more than a decade in the NFL.

LAURA COTTRELL (Women’s Basketball, 1993–97)

  • All-ACC (First Team, 1996, 1997) and 1996 ACC Tournament MVP
  • Key contributor to Clemson’s first ACC Women’s Basketball Championship
  • One of just five players in program history to record 1,000 points and 800 rebounds
  • Finished career ranked among Clemson’s top five in rebounds and top 15 in scoring

ANDY D’ALESSIO (Baseball, 2004–07)

  • Consensus All-American (2006) and All-ACC (First Team)
  • Member of the 2006 ACC Championship Team
  • Member of the 2006 College World Series Team
  • Hit 59 career home runs, tied for the most in Clemson history
  • .309 career batting average across 239 starts, one of the most durable players in program history

DALTON FREEMAN (Football, 2009–12)

  • All-American (First Team, AFCA, 2012) and All-American (Second Team, AP; Walter Camp, 2012) as the anchor of Clemson’s offensive line
  • Member of the 2011 ACC Championship Team, the program’s first in 20 years
  • Rimington Award finalist in both 2011 and 2012, recognizing the nation’s top center
  • All-ACC (First Team, 2011, 2012) and four-time ACC Academic Honor Roll selection
  • One of a select group of Clemson players to earn both All-America and Academic All-America honors in the same season
  • Team co-captain and Leadership Award winner for the 2012 squad
  • Played 16 NFL games with the New York Jets

MATT HENDRIX (Men’s Golf, 2000–04)

  • Two-time All-American and All-ACC (First Team, 2003, 2004)
  • Member of Clemson’s 2003 National Championship team
  • Ben Hogan Award finalist and U.S. Walker Cup team member (2003)
  • Four-time ACC Academic Honor Roll selection

TEVIN HESTER (Men’s Track & Field, 2013–16)

  • Nine-time All-American and seven-time ACC Champion
  • Four-time ACC Athlete of the Year (Indoor and Outdoor)
  • One of Clemson’s most decorated sprinters, excelling in the 60m, 100m and 200m
  • ACC Freshman of the Year (2013) and consistent national finalist across multiple events

GRADY JARRETT (Football, 2011–14)

  • All-American (Third Team, 2014) and All-ACC (First Team, 2014) defensive leader
  • Key contributor to a Clemson defense that led the nation in 13 statistical categories in 2014, including total defense
  • Member of the 2011 ACC Championship Team, the program’s first in 20 years
  • Finished career with 207 tackles and 29.5 tackles for loss across 48 games
  • Fifth-round selection of the Atlanta Falcons, where he built a 10-year NFL career and earned two Pro Bowl selections
  • Recorded three sacks in Super Bowl LI, among the top single-game totals in Super Bowl history

K.J. McDANIELS (Men’s Basketball, 2010–14)

  • All-ACC (First Team, 2013–14) and ACC Defensive Player of the Year
  • Only player nationally to lead his team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocks
  • Led Clemson to a 23-win season and NIT semifinal appearance in 2014
  • Finished with 1,035 career points and 178 blocked shots (Top 10 in program history)

CHRISTIAN NWOKOCHA (Men’s Soccer, 1975–78)

  • All-American (1978) and three-time All-ACC (First Team) selection
  • Led ACC in scoring twice and finished with 61 career goals
  • Key contributor to four ACC Championship teams and a 1978 NCAA Tournament semifinal run

BRIANNA ROLLINS (Women’s Track, 2010–13)

  • Three-time NCAA Champion and eight-time All-American
  • Eight-time ACC Champion and 11-time All-ACC selection
  • Winner of The Bowerman Award (2013), the sport’s highest honor
  • Olympic gold medalist (2016) and World Champion (2013) in the 100m hurdles
  • Holds Clemson records in indoor 60m hurdles and outdoor 100m hurdles

ANDREW TARBELL (Men’s Soccer, 2012–15)

  • All-American (Second Team, NSCAA) and All-South Region (First Team) goalkeeper
  • All-ACC (First Team, 2015; Third Team, 2014) and ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2015)
  • Led Clemson to the 2015 College Cup Championship match, recording nine shutouts
  • Ranked among national leaders in minutes played, saves and save percentage

Coaches / Administrators

DR. LARRY BOWMAN (Team Orthopedist, 1988–2022)

  • Served as team orthopedist for all Clemson sports for 34 years
  • Instrumental in supporting teams that won two national championships, 10 ACC titles and six College Football Playoff appearances
  • Founder of Blue Ridge Orthopedics and leader in sports medicine at the regional and national levels
  • Served on multiple NCAA and national medical committees, advancing athlete health and safety

–Courtesy of Clemson Athletic Communications