Next season, Clemson will face off with Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium for the first time since 2020.
The Tigers and Yellow Jackets are scheduled to match up on September 13 and will serve as the ACC opener for Clemson.
While Georgia Tech leads the all-time series 36-50-2, the Tigers have won nine straight over the rival Yellow Jackets, dating back to 20115.
Today, The Clemson Insider continues its series looking at each of the Tigers’ 2025 opponents and the moves each has made in the transfer portal. Players lost, as well as players added.
Tech was very active in the portal, experiencing a lot of roster turnover.
Georgia Tech Portal Additions
- DE AJ Hoffler (Clemson): Hoffler will get a chance at facing off against his former team. The former 4-star logged 256 snaps last season at Clemson, recording 15 tackles. Has two years of eligibility left.
- DE Brayden Manley (Mercer): Bigtime get for Tech. In 2024 he had 38 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, two fumble recoveries, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble. He also set a career high in sacks with 9.5. He won Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Has two years left.
- DT Matthew Alexander (UCF): Played in 39 games over the last three seasons for the Knights and last season he totaled 34 tackles. Has one year of eligibility remaining.
- DE Ronald Triplette (UTSA): Spent three seasons with the Road Runners after transferring in from Kansas State. Totaled totaled 58 tackles and 5.5 sacks during his career at UTSA. Has one year left.
- WR Debron Gatling (SC): The former 3-star redshirted in his only season with the Gamecocks. Went to high school in the Atlanta area at Milton.
- WR Eric Rivers (FIU): One of the Yellow Jackets’ biggest portal additions. Rivers caught 62 passes for 1,172 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 18.9 yards per catch. One of the best wideouts to enter this portal in the last window. Has one year of eligibility left.
- WR Dean Patterson (FIU): The second wideout added from FIU. And another big one. Has one year of eligibility remaining. Last season he caught 50 passes for 685 yards with seven touchdowns, averaging 13.7 yards per catch.
- CB Daiquan White (E. Michigan): White logged more than 660 snaps last season. In his two seasons with the Eagles, he tallied 50 tackles and 18 pass deflections. Has two seasons left to play.
- CB Kelvin Hill Jr (UAB): Hill started for the Blazers as a true freshman last season and has three years of eligibility remaining. Last season he totaled 42 tackles and five pass deflections.
- OL Andrew Rosinski (UNC): Spent one season with the Tar Heels, but did not play.
- OL JaKolby Jones (Copiah-Lincoln): Has three season of eligibility remaining after transferring in from a JUCO school.
- TE JT Byrne (Cal): Started his career at Oregon State before transferring to Cal. Has only appeared in 15 games in his career and has one year left.
- TE Harry Lodge (Wake Forest): Last season, Lodge caught 12 passes for 110 yards. Has two years left.
- LB Cayman Spaulding (Tennessee Tech): Spaulding was one of the top defensive players on the Tennessee Tech defense a season ago. He finished the season with 66 tackles and three sacks. He has two years remaining.
- LB Melvin Jordan (Oregon State): Had 45 tackles last season and was the Beavers highest-graded defender per Pro Football Focus. Has two years left.
- RB Malachi Hosley (Penn): Was a workhorse for the Quakers last season, rushing for 1,192 yards last season. Averaged more than six yards a carry and had nine touchdown runs. Has two years left to play.
- P Marshall Nichols (UNLV): One year of eligibility remaining. Joined UNLV in 2022 after walking on at Mississippi State. Was a standout punter last season, averaging 47.9 yards per punt.
- LS Luke Whiting (FAU): Has two year of eligibility left.
Georgia Tech Portal Departures
- WR Christian Leary (to W. Michigan)
- DE Christian Burkhalter (to N. Alabama)
- QB Zach Pyron (Minnesota)
- DT Horace Lockett (to UCF)
- RB Evan Dickens (Liberty)
- OL Cory Robinson II (to Arkansas)
- WR Leo Blackburn (to Georgia State)
- OL Jordan Brown (to Arizona)
- WR Eric Singleton (to Auburn)
- DB Taye Seymore (to Auburn)
- DT Uche Iloh (to Georgia Southern)
- DE Romello Height (to Texas Tech)
- WR Nick Bliss
- OL Patrick Screws (to Troy)
- OL Kai Greer (to Stanford)
- LB Caleb Dozier (to S. Alabama)
- DB Jayden Davis (to Georgia Southern)
- LB Jacob Cruz (to Jacksonville State)
- RB Trey Cooley