Earlier this week Clemson made a huge splash in the transfer portal when wide receiver Tristan Smith made a commitment to the Tigers.

While Dabo Swinney has taken a couple of backup quarterbacks in the past, Smith is the first player Clemson has landed from the portal that is expected to make an impact on the field.

Now Swinney is looking to double down and make an even bigger splash. Clemson played host to Purdue transfer Will Heldt early this week. Heldt is one of the top edge rushers in the portal. He spent multiple days on campus, receiving the orange carpet treatment.

With the Tigers preparing to face off with Texas in the first round of the College Football Playoff, Heldt was afforded the opportunity to watch how Clemson practices and got a firsthand look at the culture Swinney has cultivated inside the program.

Our sources tell us the Tigers believe they made a strong case, showing Heldt exactly how he’d fit into that culture. Swinney believes he has the pieces in place to make another run at a championship next season and let Heldt know he was a piece the staff wanted to add to that puzzle.

LSU and Texas A&M were the other schools Heldt’s agency said received visits. LSU has since taken two commitments from portal defensive ends, so this one looks to be coming down to the Aggies and the Tigers. A&M has already landed a handful of portal targets, but none have been defensive ends.

With no other visits having been disclosed, that means the waiting game now begins. Although, it shouldn’t be a long wait. While no definitive timetable has been given, portal recruitments tend to move rather quickly, meaning we would expect a decision at some point in the next few days.

Photo courtesy of Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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