Clemson football: Should Tigers poach Bama linebacker in Transfer Portal?

Should Clemson football consider poaching Alabama linebacker in NCAA Transfer Portal?

A relatively big name has been entered in the NCAA Transfer Portal in the form of Alabama graduate linebacker Ben Davis.

Davis is a graduate transfer who will be able to play immediately and was a former 5-star recruit several years ago. Unfortunately, his career hasn’t played out as well as many would’ve thought when he committed to the Crimson Tide as the No. 10 player in the country back in 2016.

Even though Davis only played as a reserve at Alabama, he will certainly be one of the more sought-after names in the NCAA Transfer Portal as teams hope to see him reach that 5-star form with a new change in scenery.

We’ve had a few Clemson football fans inquire about the potential that he might end up in Tiger Town, but the short answer to that is ‘no.’

Davis could provide some experience and consistency coming off the edge as an outside linebacker and pure edge-rusher, so don’t think for one second that there couldn’t be a role within this defense for him.

After all, Clemson football just lost SLB Mike Jones Jr. to the transfer portal and Davis could help provide depth and veteran leadership to that linebacker group. There’s also the chance that a new system and a change is exactly what he needs to achieve the potential many thought he possessed coming out of high school.

That being said, this doesn’t seem like the time or place where the Tigers go to the transfer portal for the first time.

Dabo Swinney has laid the foundation for Clemson to go the transfer route (on few occasions) in the future with the creation of Danny Pearman’s position, but we don’t think he’s quite ready to pull the trigger.

Whether you like the transfer portal or not, the Tigers will go that route (not routinely) at some point in the future but who knows when exactly that will be.

Davis does exemplify the characteristics of the culture set forth at Clemson- he stayed at Alabama and graduated even when he could’ve transferred years ago- but we’re just not sold on what he could bring to the Tigers on-the-field that would cause them to bring him in at this point.