CLEMSON — There have been a lot of moving parts in Clemson since news broke about this time on Friday night when Judge Charlotte Sweeney of the U.S. District Court of Colorado granted a class-wide preliminary injunction to athletes in the high school class of 2022, thus giving them an extra year of eligibility.

As The Clemson Insider pointed out in an earlier article on Saturday, two Clemson basketball players will have a tough decision to make in the days and maybe weeks to come in forward R.J. Godfrey and guard Dillon Hunter. TCI also learned there is a third Tiger who will also have an opportunity to return to college basketball in guard Butta Johnson.

Here is what we learned over the last several hours in talking with multiple sources.

For the last several weeks, Clemson was aware there was a good chance the injunction in Colorado was going to happen. We can tell you Brad Brownell and his staff have had discussions on the possibilities that three of their former players could return to Clemson with the extra year of eligibility.

What is the likelihood they have all three players return to Clemson?

Here is what we know.

Godfrey and Johnson had already put their names in the transfer portal back in the spring, with the hope they get grandfathered into the “five-in-five rule” and they would already be in position to hear offers. Of course, that did not happen.

However, Godfrey is one of the complainants in the Colorado case, and obviously knew there could be an opportunity to gain another year of eligibility. Hunter, as we reported earlier, plans to put his name in the portal when it opens.

TCI did learn through our conversations on Saturday that Clemson would be interested in all three players returning if they have the roster spots available, which at the moment they do, as Judge Sweeney lifted the cap for roster spots. More on that in an article TCI will have Sunday morning.

However, does Godfrey, Hunter and Johnson want to come back to Clemson?

Let’s start with Godfrey. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound Suwanee, Ga., native would love nothing more than return to Clemson. The problem is can Clemson afford him.

The Clemson forward would be one of the most sought after players in the summer portal. He led the Tigers with 12 points and 5.3 rebounds per game en route to taking the program to the NCAA Tournament.

TCI was told Clemson will do what it can to retain Godfrey. However, Godfrey will demand high-market dollars that Clemson will unlikely be unable to match.

We learned that there are several Power 4 programs that would like to have an R.J. Godfrey. One source told us, Arizona is very interested in the Clemson big man and they are willing to pay the high-market dollars that he will demand.

Hunter signed with Eisbären Bremerhaven, a German professional team, just two weeks before the Friday ruling was announced. The injunction allows Hunter to return to college because he was not drafted into the NBA or any other professional league.

Last year, Hunter made 35 starts at the point guard position. He shot 34 percent from three-point range and averaged 7.5 points per game. In his four years at Clemson, Hunter helped lead the program to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight run in 2024.

TCI was told Hunter will have the ability to make more money in college than in Germany. The good news for Clemson is Hunter’s number is not as high as Godfrey’s, which gives it more of a chance to retain him.

Clemson can offer Hunter more money than what he can make in Germany. The issue, however, is that the 6-foot-3, 195-pound guard will garner some attention in the portal from Power 4 schools, and it is unlikely Clemson will be able to match those funds.

From a financial standpoint, Johnson might be the one the Tigers can retain. Like with Hunter, Clemson can offer Johnson more money than an any overseas team can. Johnson will get some offers in the portal but it is likely Clemson can match those offers, as he will not demand the same dollars Hunter will.

Johnson could fill a need on the Clemson roster, which currently has just 14 players. At 6-foot-4, 180-pounds, he can give Clemson another solid ball handler, plus he can shoot and rotate to the No. 2 spot, possibly giving the Tigers depth there as well.

Last year, Johnson played in all 35 games for Clemson, and started nine of them. He averaged 6.3 points and connected on 35.5 percent of this three-point attempts. He also connected on 83 percent of his foul shots.

Remember, with the transfer portal and NIL money involved, these situations are all very fluid. Stayed tuned to TCI for more information as it becomes available.