We are less than 24 hours from portal madness officially beginning.
The transfer portal is set to open on Friday, with Clemson expected to be far more aggressive than in years past when it comes to upgrading its roster.
One position where the Tigers are looking to take multiple players is safety. It was a weak link on Tom Allen’s defense for much of the season. The Tigers are also losing two players at the position, with starter Khalil Barnes and reserve Rob Billings already announcing plans to leave via the portal.
With the staff looking to go hard at safety in the portal, there could be more players at the position who decide to move on.
Earlier in the week, The Clemson Insider released a list of portal players worth watching, which was littered with defensive backs. Today, we wanted to pass along a few more portal safeties worth keeping an eye on.
Minnesota’s Koi Perich tops the list. The All-Big 10 safety announced his plans to enter the portal late Thursday. As a sophomore, Perich totaled 82 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, two pass break-ups, and one forced fumble. He also saw snaps on offense, hauling in seven receptions for 89 receiving yards. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
News broke on Wednesday that Boston College’s Omar Thornton will be entering the portal, and he is certainly one name to watch. He started 11 games this season with 82 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, two sacks and one interception, earning All-ACC honorable mention honors. Thornton spent two seasons at BC and has two years of eligibility left.
Duke’s Terry Moore could be an option. Moore was an All-American in 2024. In 33 career games (19 starts), Moore has compiled 116 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, eight pass breakups and two quarterback pressures
Boise State’s Ty Benefield is another potential candidate. A staple on the backend of the Broncos’ defense the past three seasons, Benefield has started 33 games since the start of 2023, including all 28 over the past two seasons.
Benefield was named a first-team All-Mountain West selection this season after posting 107 tackles and two interceptions.
North Texas safety Patrick Smith-Young is another name worth monitoring. Smith-Young started 12 games this season, missing one with an injury, while leading the secondary with 71 tackles, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
Photo by Bart Boatwright