CLEMSON – This offseason, Clemson was dragged into a now-infamous situation. It is one that ignited think-pieces and podcast hosts alike.

In January, Clemson had required the services of linebacker Luke Ferrelli, who the Tigers retrieved out of the transfer portal by way of California, where he was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2025. However, though he was already enrolled in classes at Clemson, was participating in team activities and was no longer in the transfer portal, Ole Miss allegedly enticed Ferrelli to re-enter his name in the portal and come to Oxford, Miss.

After the news broke, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney addressed the matter in a formal press conference, accused the Ole Miss program of tampering, turned over evidence of such to the NCAA and called for specific rules and consequences to be implemented in the transfer portal era for such violations.

The ordeal put Clemson in the national headlines, but its biggest impact might have gone under the radar.

When Ferrelli decided to play for the Tigers, Clemson’s staff cut ties with the other players they were interested in from the portal and those players moved on to play for other programs. When he decided to go back in the portal and head to Ole Miss, Clemson was left with no one else to pursue that had the same skillset Ferrelli would have brought to the team.

The Tigers were now down a man at one of the most important positions on the team. They were stuck with what they had.

It meant, for the first time since 2012 and only the second instance in Swinney’s tenure, Clemson brought in one new linebacker. 

In most years since 2009–Swinney’s ‘Dandy Dozen’ Class–Clemson has brought in two, three or even more linebackers. The lone exception in 2012 came after the Tigers had signed five the year before.

Last season, Clemson brought in inside linebacker Logan Anderson out of high school, and added a second with Jeremiah Alexander in the portal.

In 2026, Clemson’s singular new linebacker is true freshman Brayden Reilly. A former 4-star recruit and summer enrollee, Reilly was recruited out of Ohio by assistant coach Ben Boulware.

“I think Ben Boulware did an amazing job of identifying Brayden and it just kind of worked out,” Swinney said in January. “It was the right fit. Brayden fits the bill of what Tom (Allen) and everybody was looking for in that linebacker position.”

Before coming to Clemson, Reilly was a three-year starter at Xavier High School, notching 10 interceptions, 15 pass breakups, four forced fumbles and five blocked punts. Standing 6-foot-3, Reilly earned All-Ohio honors and led his team to the state championship game.

He also played cornerback earlier in his high school career, earning all-league honors, as well.

Fittingly, on the basketball court Reilly excelled as a defender, and was even named the Defensive Player of the Year in his conference. The multi-sport standout attended the same high school as 2025 offensive line signee Tucker Kattus and former Clemson offensive lineman Matt Bockhorst.

Reilly is the highest-rated linebacker the Tigers have signed since Sammy Brown in 2024. Brown has already garnered preseason All-America honors ahead of the 2026 campaign and was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2024.

With fall practice just a few weeks away, it is unclear who will get all of the reps at linebacker outside of Brown, which is consistentent among many position groups on the Tigers’ roster.