Clemson football held its annual spring game on Saturday afternoon, and fans all took to social media to see which players were standing out and which newcomers made names for themselves.
Well, one name stood out above the rest: Tristan Smith.
The Southeast Missouri State receiver transfer had nearly 1,000 yards a year ago and opted to transfer to Clemson this offseason and some were worried that his production wouldn't translate but if Saturday is any indication of what we can expect this season, it looks like Smith might just become the next great Tiger wideout.
The newcomer was making play after play and he quickly became a fan favorite.
Tristan Smith is having himself a day.
— Grayson Mann (@gray_mann21) April 5, 2025
Here’s the sequence of his touchdown, along with another insane catch.
Clemson snagged a good one in the portal. @ClemsonTigerNet pic.twitter.com/zK5nIfAcWo
Smith caught five passes for 137 yards and a touchdown and turned heads like no other newcomer on the field on Saturday. And he especially stood out because he's just one of a handful of potentially impactful transfers that Dabo Swinney has ever landed.
As we all know by now, Swinney has been strongly anti-portal since it became relevant much to the chagrin of fans. They desperately wanted him to adjust and hit the portal like the rest of college football's top contenders. Instead, Swinney stated that players in the portal weren't better than what was on the Tigers' roster.
Smith's play on Saturday may have just changed his mind.
The 6-foot-5 wide receiver from Southeast Missouri State looked like he belonged in this offense and could even be a focal point of it. He has the size, explosiveness, and strong hands that could make him one of the best weapons in the ACC this season, if not the country.
I don't know about you, but Smith's breakout performance has me buying all the stock in Clemson this season.