CLEMSON — Clemson basketball‘s 2025-26 roster is set, for now.
The Tigers filled all 13 scholarship roster spots after they added six transfer portal players, the most in program history, and signed four freshmen. If the pending House settlement passes in April, college basketball rosters will expand to 15.
Clemson coach Brad Brownell revamped his roster after losing 10 players from last season’s team that set a program record for total (27) and conference (18) wins and made the NCAA tournament. Key contributors like guards Chase Hunter and Jaeden Zackery, forward Ian Schieffelin and center Viktor Lakhin all ran out of eligibility; Schieffelin and Zackery may get an extra year because the NCAA could allow athletes to play five full seasons of competition over a five-year span if pending court cases allow it.
Clemson also lost five players to the portal, including forward Chauncey Wiggins and guards Del Jones and Jake Heidbreder. It eyes its third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007-08 through 2009-10 after rebuilding its roster.
Here’s how Clemson’s roster stacks up entering the 2025-26 season.
Clemson basketball projected starters 2025-26
Any iteration of Clemson’s starting lineup will lack continuity, but this unit will bring experience and length. Dillon Hunter, Clemson’s longest-tenured player as he enters his fourth season, is the team’s leader. He was a key starter for Clemson in its final games last year with his 3-point shooting and passing, until he broke his right hand.
Porter, a 6-foot-1 Middle Tennessee State transfer, will bring scoring for Clemson, averaging 15 points while shooting 41% from the field and 36% from three last season. This backcourt pairing would allow Hunter to facilitate the offense and Porter to serve as the primary scorer.
Clemson’s frontcourt trio will consist of three 6-10 forwards. Davidson was Brownell’s top transfer pickup, averaging 15.8 points and 6.5 rebounds as a junior with Nevada to earn second-team All-Mountain West honors. Welling will add his defensive prowess, averaging 1.8 blocks as a sophomore with Utah Valley to earn Western Athletic Conference defensive player of the year.
Wahlin, a Utah transfer, averaged 6.3 points last season, but he will add athleticism to Clemson’s lineup. All are capable 3-point shooters with each shooting at least 35% last season.
Clemson’s bench rotation will consist of transfers, redshirt freshmen
Clemson relied primarily on three players off its bench the past two seasons. Expect this trend to change this season as it has a deeper bench with guards Ace Bucker and Efrem Johnson and forwards RJ Godfrey and Dallas Thomas.
Johnson, a UAB transfer, and Buckner will lead Clemson’s reserve backcourt. He averaged 8.8 points and 1.8 assists as a junior and has the playmaking ability to give Clemson a jolt. Buckner redshirted last season after undergoing shoulder surgery. He can facilitate its offense, posting a near 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in high school, and is a strong on-ball defender.
Godfrey returns to Clemson after spending a season at Georgia. He was vital in Clemson’s run to the Elite Eight two seasons ago. He will be critical to replace Welling and Wahlin in the lineup because of his athleticism and lateral quickness to guard forwards.
Thomas redshirted last season, too, with Brownell wanting the 6-9 forward to add more weight to his 180-pound frame. He was a three-level scorer in high school and has the length to guard forwards and centers.
Clemson basketball 2025-26 roster outlook
The Tigers are banking on these transfers and rising second-year players to fill massive voids. They lost nearly 93% of their scoring (76.1) and rebounding (35.4) averages from last season with the losses of Chase Hunter, Schieffelin, Lakhin, Wiggins, Zackery, Jones, Heidbreder, Christian Reeves, Asa Thomas and Myles Foster.
Brownell has effectively used the transfer portal and developed players throughout his Clemson tenure. Still, this season may be his toughest challenge yet, having to replace heavy starter and bench contributors who helped the team achieve regular-season and tournament success.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
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