Turns out, Clemson may not be losing one of its young, up-and-coming defensive linemen.

Redshirt freshman DT Champ Thompson’s camp reached out to The Clemson Insider, noting that while he was still in negotiations with the school, he is not planning to enter the transfer portal.

With Peter Woods and DeMonte Capehart both heading off to the NFL and Stephiylan Green entering the portal already, Thompson should have plenty of opportunities with the Tigers in 2026.

Thompson appeared in eight games as a reserve this season, with his most extensive action coming in the Pinstripe Bowl against Penn State, where he recorded his first career sack.

The 6-foot-3, 290-pounder was a three-star prospect out of Meadowcreek High School (GA). ESPN ranked him as the 19th-best defensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting class.

Photo by Bart Boatwright