Clemson football was razor-thin at the quarterback position coming into the 2021 spring practice portion of the preseason. After the injury to backup quarterback Taisun Phommachanh in the scrimmage that will more than likely have him out for six to eight-month, a lot of questions surround the group.
Of course, Clemson football is expecting two quarterbacks to arrive on campus in June – Bubba Chandler and Will Taylor. Taylor was recruited as an athlete but was a dual-threat quarterback at Dutch Fork HS.
However, relying on two preferred walk-ons and two true freshmen to run the potent offense that the Tigers will have in 2021, isn’t optimal nor is it a recipe for success should starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei get injured.
The transfer portal doesn’t look like an option for Clemson football.
We have been very vocal about the Tigers and head coach Dabo Swinney needing to get over themselves and start to recruit the transfer portal as the Tigers cannot and will not continue to compete on a national level if they keep losing 4-star and 5-star athletes and replace them with unranked and unheralded walk-ons because they work hard.
Looking at the transfer portal there are currently several guys that have plenty of college football experience and would be good fits from both a locker room and backup standup, but guys hit the transfer portal presumably because they weren’t playing enough wherever they came from.
If they came to Clemson, they know they would be walking in as a backup with no hope of overcoming Uiagalelei as the starter for the next two seasons.
Top five transfer portal options for Dabo Swinney and the Clemson offense.
N’Kosi Perry – Miami
We have all seen Perry play for ACC foe the Miami Hurricanes over the last several years. Great athlete, not the greatest quarterback. Clemson football would not be a good fit.
Joe Milton – Michigan
Another highly touted quarterback that Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh failed to develop. In the one year that he saw extended action, he completed just 56 percent of his pass attempts. He would be intriguing given the level of talent as well as the coaching upgrade but still not a good fit from a football standpoint.
Tate Martell – Miami/Ohio State
HAHAHA – No thanks. Next.
Chris Robison – Florida Atlantic
Originally an Oklahoma commitment out of high school but was dismissed from school for a violation of team rules. Everyone deserves second chances but he would be no better than the two true freshman quarterbacks coming in.
Grant Tisdale – Ole Miss
This is the lone intriguing option on the transfer portal – though again, he is leaving Ole Miss in search of more playing time, which he certainly would not get at Clemson.
Like Clemson football 2022 quarterback commit, Cade Klubnik, Tisdale was a highly successful Texas High School quarterback. He led Allen high school to a 30-1 record in his final two years of high school and won a 6A Texas state football title.
Allen HS is where former Clemson football offensive coordinator Chad Morris was hired to be the program’s head coach.
If the Tigers are going to make a move on the transfer portal, Grant Tisdale is the only one worth contacting, and even then, it would not solidify the quarterback room nor the position the Tigers are in.