Clemson Football linebacker enters the portal

Clemson Football linebacker TJ Dudley has entered the transfer portal.

Few details are available so far, but David Hood of TigerNet indicated Dudley was dismissed from the team for a violation of rules.

Dudley was a member of the Class of 2022. He was rated a 4-star prospect by 247Sports. He played at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School in Alabama.

Dudley was listed as a redshirt freshman on Clemson’s roster. He made four tackles in sixteen snaps across four games in 2022.

Dudley was expected to have an expanded role this season, albeit as a backup. His departure means that fellow redshirt freshman Kobe McCloud and true freshmen Dee Crayton and Jamal Anderson will need to fill out the two-deep at linebacker. It is also likely we might see a linebacker pulled off the field more often in favor of a defensive back, either a nickelback or an extra safety.

Clemson Football has one more scholarship to work with now in 2023

Dudley’s departure also means the Tigers are down to 84 total scholarships (based on last season’s distribution). At Tuesday’s media day, head coach Dabo Swinney suggested 84 scholarships (including Dudley’s at the time) had been accounted for, with one remaining that would be awarded to the player who won the long snapper competition, either redshirt junior Philip Florenzo or redshirt sophomore Holden Caspersen. Caspersen was the long snapper on scholarship in 2022.

With an extra scholarship available, the Tigers could consider adding a player from the transfer portal, but that doesn’t seem very likely at this point. Most players who entered the portal after the 2022 season have already found a new team. Given Clemson’s overall reluctance to use the portal, taking a player would be a shock.

This could, however, open up an unexpected scholarship that the staff could use on a 2024 prospect. The Tigers have an open offer to linebacker Wyatt Simmons of Searcy, Arkansas. It is possible they could offer one more prospect at the position, or potentially use it on another position group.