CLEMSON – When you think of Floridian animals, you may picture creeping alligators, squawking seagulls, or even a prowling black panther.

Whatever you picture, whether it is a bird or a gator, it most likely is not a tiger. 

Clemson’s 2026 team hopes to change that way of thinking.

Nearly 20 percent of Clemson’s upcoming roster is made up of “Florida Tigers,” a term coined by Key West, Fla., native T.J. Moore on social media this January.

Though Sunshine State players who choose to come to Clemson over other closer schools are a rare species, Florida Tigers have been prevalent in the college football landscape for years.

Clemson greats Sammy Watkins, C.J. Spiller, and Brian Dawkins, among others, have hailed from Florida. On the Tigers’ 2016 national championship team, 15 players hailed from the state of Florida, and head coach Dabo Swinney has brought in over 50 commits from the state since his tenure as head coach began.

In the upcoming year, every position on the field– excluding defensive end– will be represented by at least one native of the southernmost state.

This offseason, four of the Tigers’ 11 transfer portal commits hailed from Florida. They may have come from different colleges, but defensive backs Jerome Carter III and Elliott Washington II immediately bonded over their home state.

“Elliot is a dog,” Carter said. “He’s from Florida, so I knew what he was on. When I came here, we talked once I committed and stuff and he was already committed. He just told me, ‘Let’s ride. Let’s do it,’ and that just stuck out to me.”

Some of the Florida Tigers’ history goes back far earlier than when they committed to Clemson as a unit, however. It runs through high school matchups almost a half-decade ago.

During a March interview, transfer defensive lineman Markus Strong interrupted Carter to remind him of a high school game in which his school, Union County, defeated Carter’s Columbia High School in 2022.

“Yeah, we lost to Marcus, he just wanted to be great,” Carter joked, gesturing at his new teammate. 

A few days later, reserve quarterback and Plant City native Chris Denson chimed in on the Florida connection when asked about portal running back Chris Johnson Jr., who was named the fastest player in the NCAA in his last season at SMU in 2025.

“He’s from Florida, so it’s different speed down there,” the signal-caller said with a smile.

Cornerback Ashton Hampton and Moore, two rising juniors and former high school recruits for the Tigers, can be credited, at least in part, with the assembly of the 2026 Florida Tigers.

Both players, each a Florida native and presumed starter next year, committed to Clemson directly out of high school. Last season, Moore was Clemson’s leader in receiving yards, (837) while Hampton tied for most pass breakups (11) on the team.

After Clemson’s 7-6 finish, following each player announcing a junior season return, they both took to social media to convince others looking to come to the Upstate of South Carolina, which happened to be several Florida players.

They commented emojis on transfer announcement posts, reached out to portal players, and eventually, when commitments were sealed to Clemson, they reposted each, resting peacefully in their success.

“Y’all can’t say I’m not a great recruiter,” Hampton tweeted on Jan 5, after Washington’s commitment.

Moore, Hampton, and several other Florida Tigers will look to lead Clemson this season. Moore is poised to add on to his success as an upperclassman and potential early-round NFL Draft pick in 2027. Hampton has a chance to become the first corner on the depth chart, with Avieon Terrell now playing for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.

After extensive praise from defensive coordinator Tom Allen, Washington and Carter appear to be currently in line to make starts immediately when the Tigers open their season.

“I call them low rep guys and man, they don’t have to do it a bunch,” Allen said of the pair of transfers, also discussing safety Corey Myrick. “They’re great in the classroom, listening and learning and taking notes and picking things up,”

Allen also highlighted Tampa native Kobe McCloud, a redshirt junior, linking him to a starting linebacker position this season, while Strong is in line to strengthen Clemson’s defensive line.

Three freshman offensive linemen that hale from Florida–Chance Barclay, Grant Wise, and Gavin Blanchard–will also have their chance to make a mark on their team, and on the Florida reputation.

Though Clemson’s first game will be played against LSU in Baton Rouge, La., there will be nearly 30 Florida Tigers combined from both rosters.

Maybe, after the matchup, and after Clemson’s 2026 season, more people will associate Florida with the large cat.