Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers have lost out on a top transfer target.
The Clemson Tigers are coming off of a rough 7-6 campaign, so head coach Dabo Swinney has been forced to get out of his comfort zone and actually utilize the transfer portal this offseason.
While Clemson has experienced some success in the portal early on this winter, landing 10 players thus far, it's also pretty clear that the Tigers are not exactly a top destination at this juncture.
Case in point, Clemson just watched as top JUCO target Andy Burburija, a defensive tackle out of Iowa Western Community College, spurned the Tigers in favor of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, via Chris Hummer of CBS Sports.
Burburija would have been a tremendous pickup for Clemson.
The JUCO All-American racked up 45 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in 2025 and could have represented a potential replacement for star defensive tackle Peter Woods, who has entered the NFL Draft.
The Tigers have lost a handful of their top defenders to the draft this offseason, with fellow defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart, edge rusher T.J. Parker, cornerback Avieon Terrell and linebacker Wade Woodaz all declaring.
Clemson Tigers coach Dabo Swinney. Credit: Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.As a result, there has been an emphasis on defense for Clemson in the transfer portal, with nine of its additions being on the defensive side.
In fact, the Tigers did not sign their first offensive player in the portal until Sunday, when they added former SMU running back Chris Johnson Jr.
Burburija visited Clemson last week but then met with Nebraska over the weekend. Clearly, he preferred what the Cornhuskers had to offer a bit more.
The Tigers have added a pair of interior defenders in Markus Strong and Kourtney Kelly this winter, but they are looking to bring in at least one more defensive tackle.
Surely, Swinney will be able to find someone, but because the Tigers have fallen off in recent years, they aren't quite the top-tier landing spot they once were.
Between 2015 and 2019, Clemson made it to four National Championship Games and won a pair of titles, establishing itself as one of the genuinely elite football schools in the country.
Since then, however, the Tigers have slipped considerably, and they just posted their worst season since Swinney's second year with the program in 2010.