Clemson’s Dabo Swinney has taken more than his share of heat over the years for his approach to the transfer portal. The narrative has been that the longtime head coach refused to use it, but that narrative can now be considered old news.

Swinney has made multiple moves in the portal since the 38-24 loss to Texas in the first round of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. Clemson signed three players from the portal this offseason – former Alabama edge rusher Jeremiah Alexander, former Purdue defensive end Will Heldt and former Southeast Missouri State wide receiver Tristan Smith.

Each of them make Clemson better. But which of the three is the biggest pickup for Swinney’s team, according to ESPN?

ESPN recently assessed the best portal addition (subscription required) for each team in its Way-Too-Early Top 25 for the 2025 season.

ESPN’s Max Olson pegged Heldt as the top portal pickup for Clemson, which is ranked No. 7 in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25.

“Dabo Swinney doesn’t typically recruit many transfers but brought in a trio of players via the portal this offseason,” Olson wrote. “It’s easy to see why Heldt was a worthy addition. The 6-foot-6, 265-pound edge defender put up 56 tackles, 16 pressures, 10 TFLs and five sacks in his first season as a starter for the Boilermakers. He’s coming in with two more seasons of eligibility and exciting upside to bolster the Tigers’ pass rush.”

Heldt played in all 24 games for the Boilermakers across his two seasons at Purdue from 2023-24. Along with the aforementioned stats from his sophomore season, Heldt recorded a fumble recovery that he returned 16 yards for a touchdown. The 19-year-old native of Carmel, Ind., notched 2.5 sacks and the 16-yard scoop-and-score in back-to-back games against ranked opponents against Illinois and Oregon in October.

Clemson’s current roster and present leadership played a big part in Heldt’s decision to join the Tigers.

“Yeah, I mean, no doubt,” he said. “I think one of the biggest things was getting around the guys. It really is unique here, it’s different. You walk around the building, you don’t walk past anybody without saying ‘what’s up’ to anybody. So, it really is just a surreal like building moment here where everybody knows everybody. It’s a real tight-knit group.”