Dabo Swinney has been vehemently against the transfer portal since its emergence over the past few years. Players transferring has always been a thing, but the transfer portal has made it easier for these guys to leave and look for new homes, although plenty get abandoned there and see their college careers come to an end.
However, he's been more open to dabbling in the portal over the past couple of years and his 2025 transfer class is his best yet, landing three potential impact players: Will Heldt, Jeremiah Alexander, and Tristan Smith -- and Hayes Galloway as a preferred walk-on.
One of those transfers has received major praise from his All-American teammate, Peter Woods.
Appearing at ACC Media Days, Woods had plenty to say about the upcoming season, some tampering he's experienced, and his teammates and coaches. When Heldt was brought up (the only transfer he works closely with on the defensive line), he wasted no time raving about him.
According to TigerNet, Woods said that Heldt looks like he was created in a factory.
Woods said that Heldt came in and immediately became a team leader and brought some juice to the defensive side of the ball. He also said that Heldt does everything "seemingly perfectly" and that "he just looks like he was made in a factory".
If an All-American defensive lineman is saying this about you, you're probably doing something right.
Heldt comes over from Purdue where he played in 24 games over two seasons and had 68 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and five sacks. He's now part of the best defensive line in the nation.
And apparently he's not human.