After landing a sixth transfer on Tuesday evening, it feels like Clemson basketball has a full roster at capacity for the 2025-26 season which is impressive given that nine guys departed.
That's right, nine guys are gone from the 27-7 team that finished in second place just a game behind Duke in the ACC standings. Gone are Ian Schieffelin, Jaeden Zackery, Viktor Lakhin, Chase Hunter, Del Jones, Asa Thomas, Jake Heidbreder, Chauncey Wiggins, and Christian Reeves.
Coming in are Carter Welling, Nick Davidson, Jake Wahlin, RJ Godfrey, Efrem Johnson, and Jestin Porter along with a four-man freshman class. And returning is Dillon Hunter. Dallas Thomas, Ace Buckner, and Jackson Roberts all return as well as members of the 2024 class looking to make some noise in 2025-26.
With the roster looking jam-packed heading into the 2025-26 season, it feels like now is the perfect time to project what the starting five could look like.
Here's my best guess.
Point guard: Jestin Porter (MTSU transfer)
I think this one is a no-brainer. The option before Jestin Porter committed was Dillon Hunter, but I think the veteran guard comes off the bench while the Middle Tennessee transfer gets the nod. He averaged 15 points and 2.9 assists this past season and can absolutely fill it up. He just needs to work on being a better distributor.
Shooting guard: Efrem Johnson (UAB transfer)
Again, I debated on putting Hunter here, but I see him as the team's sixth man while Efrem Johnson gets the start at the two. He's got solid size at 6-foot-4 and he can create for himself although he had a bit of a setback season in 2024-25 with UAB, averaging just 8.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. He also shot just 37 percent from the floor. Johnson has major upside, though.
Small forward: RJ Godfrey (Georgia transfer)
After spending one season at Georgia, RJ Godfrey is back at Clemson and he's expected to slide into a starting role -- at least that's what I expect. He is listed as a power forward, but I think he can play the three and give the Tigers some elite size. He can defend the three, but his floor spacing on offense may not be ideal here. The staff could opt to go with a different option here, but Godfrey can be a three with solid two-way ability. He averaged 6.4 points and 3.8 rebounds with Georgia.
Power forward: Carter Welling (Utah alley transfer)
Carter Welling just has a ton of potential at the power forward spot. He stands 6-foot-10 and weighs in at 225 pounds so he's a long, athletic big who can stretch the floor as he shot 35 percent from deep as a sophomore with Utah Valley. He averaged 13.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks last season while shooting 48 percent from the floor.
Center: Nick Davidson (Nevada transfer)
A lot of fans are excited about Nick Davidson, and for good reason. The Nevada transfer is a big body at 6-foot-10 and 238 pounds and he can score from every level. He averaged 15.8 points and 6.5 rebounds as a junior, shooting 50 percent from the floor, 37 percent from deep, and 70 percent from the line. He also averaged 1.2 blocks per game, showing that he's a willing defender.
There you have it, Clemson fans. It looks like the Tigers might just have an all-transfer starting five next season unless Ace Buckner or Dillon Hunter get the nod over Efrem Johnson.