CLEMSON – Ahead of the 2026 season, Clemson football added 10 transfer portal pieces and signed 23 freshmen, bringing in 14 new offensive players overall.

Despite the influx of several new faces, head coach Dabo Swinney and his staff will also return over 30 offensive veterans, many of whom saw significant playing time last season. 

With spring practice set to begin later this month, here are five of Clemson’s top offensive returners – and what will be expected of them in 2026.

Wide Receiver Bryant Wesco Jr.

Clemson will return two of its three receiving leaders from last season in T.J Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. 

Before suffering a season-ending injury on a fall against SMU in the seventh game last season, Wesco caught 31 passes for 537 receiving yards and a team-high six touchdowns, emerging as quarterback Cade Klubnik’s No. 1 target in the early season.

Wesco’s best game in his sophomore season came against Georgia Tech. He notched 126 receiving yards, including a 73-yard touchdown against the Yellow Jackets, joining Sammy Watkins, Artavis Scott, and Justyn Ross as the fourth player in Clemson history to reach over 1,000 receiving yards in the first 15 games of his career. Wesco also became the fourth player in Swinney’s head coaching tenure to record six or more touchdowns in the first six games of a season, joining Tiger greats Watkins, Deandre Hopkins, and Deon Cain. 

As a freshman, Wesco earned Freshman All-American honors after catching 41 passes for 708 yards and five touchdowns in 11 starts. He averaged a team-best 17.3 yards-per-catch over 12 games, and caught his first touchdown on the third play from scrimmage against Appalachian State. 

“As far as just the next level for him, it’s just to continue his ascension,” Swinney said of Wesco in Oct. of 2025.  “He’s so improved from a physical standpoint, from when he showed up here. There’s still more there, and that will happen as he just stays within the program and progresses. And then just from a technique, fundamental standpoint, he’s really gotten better there. He’s a very smart player. He really understands the game. He understands defense. Again, as he continues to physically get better, I think he’ll even be a better finisher on the ball.”

Despite two stellar seasons, questions remain as Wesco enters his junior season. To this point, all of his 11 career touchdowns have come from Klubnik, who has since concluded his Clemson career. Now, Wesco will work with a new quarterback while adjusting to a different offensive coordinator in Chad Morris.

Wesco and redshirt sophomore Christopher Vizzina, who has the “pole” position to start at quarterback next season, appeared in limited action together in 2024. Though Vizzina started against SMU, the wideout did not record a reception before suffering his injury.

Ball security will also be a point of emphasis for the Midlothian, Texas, native. On Sept. 13, Wesco was tied with Alabama’s Ryan Williams with the most drops in the country, after miscues on a third-and-fourth pass at Georgia Tech and another against Syracuse. 

The Tigers finished the season with the most team drops in the country.

As Wesco works back from injury, catching fundamentals will be crucial to taking steps forward.

Before his injury, PFF named Wesco as a NFL Draft prospect that scouts were “drooling over.” With a healthy, consistent 2026 campaign, Wesco could firmly plant himself on 2027 Draft radars.

Wide Receiver T.J. Moore

Alongside Wesco, Clemson brings back T.J. Moore, completing a wide receiver duo that made the Tigers the first power conference team in over 25 years to have multiple freshmen record five or more touchdown catches in a season in 2024.

When Moore, a rising junior from Key West, Fla., announced his return to Clemson in early January, Tiger fans erupted on social media platforms – with good reason.

In 2025, Moore was Clemson’s leading receiver, finishing with 837 receiving yards on 52 catches with four touchdowns. He recorded three 100-plus yard games against North Carolina, South Carolina, and SMU, making him the fourth player in Clemson history to record 650 or more receiving yards in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. 

As a freshman, Moore caught 45 passes for 651 yards and five touchdowns, ranking sixth among all freshmen nationally in receiving yards.

“I’m really proud of TJ.,” Swinney said after Moore recorded a touchdown and 92 receiving yards against Duke on Nov. 1. “He was one of those guys last year who was really talented and the game came easily to him, but he wasn’t very detailed and didn’t have great practice habits. But that’s our job– to coach, teach, develop, and then the player has to buy into it.

“I’m just really proud of him because he has a completely different mindset. Even in the early part of camp and the first part of the season, he was still working towards what we wanted him to be, but when you come out and watch him practice, it translates to the field.”

With veteran Antonio Williams headed to the NFL, Moore will have a chance to take on more of a leadership role, especially with five freshmen wide receivers joining the squad. 

He also holds an advantage in familiarity with Vizzina, having played a full game with him against SMU. In the contest, Moore recorded a season-high 124 yards, his only multi-touchdown game of the season, and a 62-yard, one-handed catch.

Running Back Gideon Davidson

Along with junior wide receiver standouts, Clemson also returns sophomore running back Gideon Davidson, a former Top-100 recruit and unanimous four-star prospect from the 2025 class.

As a freshman, Davidson was not the Tigers’ No. 1 rushing option, as Adam Randall switched from the wide receiver room to become Clemson’s starting back. Still, Davidson managed 260 yards on 60 carries across his freshman season. He also caught 11 passes for 93 receiving yards, leading all freshmen in receiving yards.

With Randall out of eligibility, and Morris and Swinney stating that the Tigers will prioritize the run-game this season after only giving running backs 258 combined carries last year, Davidson is poised to take on a bigger role in 2026.

“We got to run the football, and when you can run the football it makes your team tougher,” Swinney said while introducing Morris in January. “When you can run the football you create some one-on-one matchups and (Morris) loves taking advantage of those things.”

While Morris takes advantage of mismatches, Davidson took advantage of his opportunity to learn his freshman year, in lieu of extended playing time.

“I have learned to be resilient,” the Lynchburg, Va., native said last season. “Kind of just focused on what I can control. There’s been a lot of ups and downs, but I feel like I have learned to control my emotions, control my physical ability to play football. Focused on myself, trying to further my ability to play running back. To deal with the ups and downs.” 

When SMU running back Chris Johnson Jr. announced his commitment to Clemson in January and returners Jay Haynes and David Eziomume decided to stay in the Upstate, competition got even stiffer in the running backs room. Still, Davidson– a “natural leader” according to Swinney– has a chance to pilot the run game for Clemson this season.

Tight End Christian Bentancur 

Despite Clemson’s offensive struggles at times in its 7-6 season last year, the tight ends room had some production. Redshirt freshman Christian Bentancur and junior Olsen Patt-Henry combined for 341 receiving yards on 36 receptions. Josh Sapp added 150 yards of his own on 11 receptions, but decided to transfer after the 2025 season.

Bentancur and Patt-Henry, however, will return for their respective sophomore and senior seasons. 

Bentancur recorded a reception in nine of 13 games last season, including seven receptions for 80 yards in combined performances against South Carolina and Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl. He had a career-high 53 yards and two touchdowns against North Carolina and a season-high four receptions from Vizzina against SMU.

His first career reception came from Vizzina against the Citadel in his true freshman year in 2024.

Before Clemson, Bentancur was named the third-best tight end in the 2024 class by PrepStar after recording 3,867 yards and 51 touchdowns in his high school career in Lakemoor, Ill. He finished in the top five in Illinois high school history in receptions, touchdowns, and receiving yards, naming him an all-state player his junior and senior years. He also scored 2,000 points in his high school basketball career.

At 6-foot-4, and with a basketball background, Bentancur possesses the height and athleticism to go find and secure any pass, as evidenced by endless grabs over defenders in high school, and in games against North and South Carolina (his first career start.)

Morris’ opening press conference highlighted the veteran coach’s intent to move vertically on offense, perfect for Bentancur’s frame and speed. 

“We want to travel and we want to push the ball down the field at least three times a quarter,” Morris said. “And that means the ball’s traveling in the air 25 yards or more three times a quarter. Chart it. Let’s figure it out. Why is it happening and get the ball to our playmakers.”

Along with opportunities to make plays, Morris also harped on the fact that the Tigers’ will utilize 12-personnel this season, putting two tight ends on the field. This will free up opportunities for Bentancur and Patt-Henry to pressure defenses at the same time.

In his first season with real playing time, Bentancur’s biggest weakness seemed to be his blocking ability. He improved over the course of the season, but will still need to take strides to be competitive on every down if he wants to earn a job as a permanent starter in 2026.

Offensive Tackle Brayden Jacobs

It did not take long for six-foot-seven offensive lineman Brayden Jacobs to find his way onto the field last season.

Jacobs, the son of former NFL running back Brandon Jacobs, saw his first snap against LSU last August, and turned it into five snaps against Troy, 21 at North Carolina, and 65 in a breakout game against Boston College when starting left tackle Tristan Leigh left with an injury.

From there, Jacobs parlayed his success into four starts, both at left tackle and left guard. By the end of the season, Swinney’s opinion of the 355-pound lineman was clear.

“We ain’t taking him out of there, he is one of the best five, no doubt about it,” Swinney said of Jacobs after he made a start at the guard position. “Super proud of him.

“He is a good player now, but he is going to be a great tackle. Can play wherever. Don’t see him playing at center. Tackle or guard, whatever you need him to be.”

However, while celebrating a one-point win over Louisville on Nov. 14, Jacobs suffered a foot injury in the post-game huddle. Despite missing the Tigers’ last four games, Swinney was confident in November that the Milton, Ga., native would be back for the spring.

“The positive for him is he should be ready to go for spring and all that,” Swinney said. “But he did have an opportunity, as we all know, to play a huge role, to become a starter and to play really, really well at two positions this season. So, that’s a positive and something that he can take with him as he goes into his offseason and gets himself back ready to go.”

With veteran linemen like Walker Parks, Tristan Leigh, Ryan Linthicum, and Blake Miller leaving the program, Jacobs’ role will switch drastically this season. After playing as a true freshman under upperclassmen with nearly 20 years of combined college football experience, he now is one of the more experienced players in his position group. 

Along with ensuring that he is fully healthy ahead of the season, Jacobs will need to serve as a leader, and quite possibly be ready to play multiple positions. As of now, he is a candidate to start as a left or right tackle.

His size and athleticism speak for itself.

While college football season is over a half-year away, spring practice will start in the next few weeks, and the annual Orange and White Spring Game will be open to fans on March 28. All of these players, and many more, will have their next chance to play at Memorial Stadium in just over a month.

Additionally, Clemson fans will soon have their first look at Chad Morris’ new offense– with some familiar faces.