Clemson football took a few hits by way of the transfer portal, and the secondary was the group hit the hardest. The pair the Tigers lost are highly-touted as well.

Andrew Mukuba and Toriano Pride Jr. have new homes in college football after their Clemson careers. ESPN ranked the top 75 players from this portal cycle, and both made the list.

Once a Swiss Army knife for the Tigers, Mukuba is headed to Texas and ranked No. 24 in the portal. He totaled 143 tackles and 17 pass breakups over three season, a heavy contributor in the run and pass game.

Mukuba played in 13 games in 2021, accounting for 47 total tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack and was named the ACC defensive rookie of the year. He improved on those numbers in 2022, with 54 total tackles, one interception and four pass breakups. He played in 10 games this past season and while his numbers were a bit down, he did deal with an injury during the season. He’s a veteran safety who has performed well in a top defense and has already received offers from Oregon, Ole Miss and Arizona State.

For Pride, he may not rank as high but it’s his youth that gives him an advantage. With just two seasons under his belt, Pride brings extra help to a cornerback room in Missouri that desperately needs it. It’s a program on the rise under Eli Drinkwitz as well.

Pride has good size and has two years of experience playing in the ACC. He’s an excellent defender who can come in and help the Tigers in the secondary right away. The staff was looking for help at corner, and Pride is one of the better corners in the transfer portal this offseason.

Both were tough losses for the Clemson program, and the secondary should still be very good in 2024. With that in mind, it’s painful to imagine how deep the group could be if one or both stayed a Tiger.