Minutes after Clemson’s series-tying win against Florida State on May 9, second baseman Jarren Purify was all smiles.

“Shout out (pitcher) Danny Nelson, he did it for us today,” Purify said at the time. “That’s all we needed for a shut down and our freshman stepping up in big boy moments. That’s what we need and it was good to see him out there doing that today. It was great. Shout out to Tristan McCladdie, Shout out to the whole lineup. Shout out everybody, man. Shout out.”

And while Purify’s grinning praise or “shout outs” extended to the entirety of the Clemson squad, the junior may have been the most deserving of one himself that night, after he finished 2-for-3 at the plate, while batting in the three game-winning runs.

On a larger scale, Purify may have been the player most consistently deserving of a shoutout this entire season, as his impact was immediately measured in his prolonged absence.

After suffering a broken hand against Notre Dame in late March, Purify did not record an at-bat for the next 23 games, though he attempted to pinch run at times, sporting a mummified hand. Quickly, with their leadoff man in the dugout, the Tigers fell to a 9-14 record in that span and a 6-15 in ACC play.

The young team missed their leader. While Purify’s constant encouragement could be heard from the first base line over the months of March and April, shouts of ‘Here we go,” and “You got this,” were not enough to make up for a .344 batting average, 45 hits, and fiery persona missing from the Tigers’ lineup.

Upon his return against Boston College, the Detroit, Mich., native notched 16 hits in the final 10 games of the season, helping the Tigers to a series win over Boston College, a win over Coastal Carolina, and the Saturday night victory over the Seminoles, among others. 

And though Purify’s return alone was not enough to right Clemson’s worst season in decades–the Tigers ultimately concluded their season in the first round of the ACC Tournament in Charlotte on Tuesday–head coach Erik Bakich told media members that a stark priority this offseason will be maintaining his two-time captain.

“(Our) top priority would be to retain guys like Jarren Purify,” Bakich said. “Guys that make our program go. Guys that don’t lack anything. Guys that have energy, bring positive energy, have demonstrated leadership skills on the field, toughness on the field, play their ass off and never question how hard they play.”

Though Purify’s emphatic claps and shout outs were replaced by sorrowful silence beside Bakich in the media room after a 5-4 loss to Notre Dame, his emphasis on leadership stayed the same as it was after an upset victory over the Seminoles 10 days prior.

“I just got to tell them to be ready to work from Day 1,” Purify said. “Myself as a leader, you got to hold guys accountable and just make sure that we know what’s asked of us and from our coaches and just as a player in general. You know, when you come here, you got to work hard. You got to want to play to the Clemson standard and you got to want to be a Clemson Tiger.”

Despite Bakich looking ahead to retaining his veterans and making “sweeping improvements” for next season, Purify noted that there is a chance he may not return to the Upstate of South Carolina if taken in the 2026 MLB Draft. 

Ahead of his third collegiate season, Purify was ranked as the No. 22 ACC prospect in this year’s draft class, and the No. 50 junior in the nation by Perfect Game. Most recently, he was mocked this spring as the No. 100 collegiate player taken in 11point7.com’s big draft board and as Perfect Game’s No. 144 pick.

“I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I just thank God for every opportunity that comes my way,” Purify said. It’s been a great three years here, and if I have the opportunity to do another year, I’m grateful for every opportunity that happens. If that’s the draft for me, if that’s coming back to Clemson for a fourth year, I’m open to all options.”

In defense of Purify’s draft stock, arguably no Clemson player had the impact on overall team success than the infielder did in the 2026 season. The Tigers finished 23-14, or a 63 percent win rate with him in the starting lineup, and held just a 39 percent win rate with him off the field.

While strength of schedule can be factored into this drastic statistic, and ‘what-ifs’ are no longer relevant for a retired Clemson team, Purify’s imprint on Bakich’s fourth Tigers’ team was in no way abstract this year. 

And while he may or may not be back manning second base in Doug Kingsmore Stadium next spring, Clemson fans can always remember Purify as the leader spewing shoutouts to his teammates, despite winning a game almost singlehandedly.