Clemson is already dealing with a numbers crunch when it comes to scholarships for the 2023 season.

But even if one or two were to come free for the Tigers later this offseason, Tyler Grisham indicated Clemson doesn’t plan on dipping into the transfer portal to add to the receiver room.

“I love who we’ve got,” the Tigers’ receivers coach said following the team’s practice Monday.

Grisham noted that Clemson currently has 21 wideouts on the roster. That number could change after the Tigers’ spring game next month should some players decide to enter the transfer portal, which will open for the second time beginning May 1. Clemson could also do what it’s rarely done under head coach Dabo Swinney and use the portal to supplement its roster, though the Tigers would first have to do some trimming.

Swinney revealed last month that Clemson is going through the spring with 88 scholarship players, which is three more than the NCAA’s limit of 85. Swinney said he could take former walk-ons off scholarship next season in order to get to or below that number.

Receiver is a position that’s been speculated about when it comes to potentially adding an impact player from the portal given that, despite the numbers, Clemson doesn’t have many proven commodities there. Whether it be departures to the NFL (Amari Rodgers, Justyn Ross and, most recently, Joseph Ngata, to name a few) or transfers (Frank Ladson Jr., E.J. Williams and Dacari Collins), Clemson has lost its share of experienced and promising wideouts in recent years.

Antonio Williams was the team’s leading receiver last season as a true freshman; Beaux Collins is entering his junior season as the unit’s most proven commodity despite dealing with injuries the last two seasons; and the coaching staff is high on Cole Turner, who made a splash in the four games he played last season and has been repping with the first team for most of the spring. But Williams (56) and Collins (53) are the only receivers still on the roster that have more than 34 career receptions.

Clemson has also gone back-to-back seasons without a 1,000-yard receiver, a glaring dropoff in production for a program that could make as strong of a case for the WRU moniker as any in recent years. Numerous factors have played into the dip, including inconsistent quarterback play. D.J. Uiagalelei’s rollercoaster two seasons as Clemson’s starter ended late last season when Cade Klubnik took over the reins of the offense, though the former blue-chip recruit finished his true freshman campaign with more interceptions (3) than touchdown passes (2).

But Grisham acknowledged there’s more his receivers can do to help improve a passing game that’s been pedestrian of late. Clemson hasn’t finished better than 67th nationally in passing over the last two seasons and had just 41 pass plays of 20 yards or more last season, which ranked in the middle of the pack in the ACC.

Grisham said it has to start with better camaraderie between the receivers and Klubnik, who’s entering his first season as the Tigers’ full-time starter under new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley.

“Cohesion in practice is huge, and I think the way we practice, you’re getting a ton more reps at doing some simple stuff,” Grisham said. “Just throwing and catching more.

“I really like what we’ve done in the spring so far in helping our guys just get a ton more reps throwing and coaching and getting confidence from consistently performing well in practice.”

As far as talent, though, Grisham believes his position room has what it needs for the passing game to get back to being its explosive self. Grisham noted that redshirt freshman Adam Randall was pushing for a starting spot last spring before sustaining the torn ACL that he’s still working his way back from. Troy Stellato is a former four-star signee trying to get healthy again after a knee injury of his own. Will Taylor is also in the mix, and fifth-year wideout Brannon Spector is the old head in the room.

Three true freshmen are also joining the fold. Noble Johnson is already practicing with the team as an early enrollee. Tyler Brown and Ronan Hanafin will arrive on campus in the summer.

Grisham said those are the only newcomers he’s expecting to be added to the mix for next season.

“Our guys know we’ve got guys coming in the summer who would like to play and are going to compete,” Grisham said. “We’re bringing in guys that want to play and that can. It’s going to be competitive, but, man, I’ll say this: We’ve got a great room with a ton of respect for each other and a ton of support. That’s huge. Unselfishness is going to be big because we’re going to have plenty of guys who can make plays.

“I’m excited about who we have and really lighting up the scoreboard with the guys we do have.”

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