Evaluating Tigers transfer portal quarterback options

CLEMSON — Clemson has been against using the transfer portal in the Dabo Swinney era.

The Tigers coach believes in building his roster from the high school ranks, not dipping into the portal or junior college talent pool. But this summer, Swinney might not have another option.

D.J. Uiagalelei is currently the lone healthy, scholarship quarterback on Clemson’s roster. Taisun Phommanchanh tore his Achilles in the Orange vs. White game; no timeline for his return has been announced. And walk-on Hunter Helms is the only other option.

The quarterbacks room could get a boost when Bubba Chandler and Will Taylor enroll at the end of June but both are appearing in the first round of various MLB mock drafts. There’s no certainty either will make it to Clemson.

“We will evaluate all summer long and see what we have to do to give ourselves the best chance to be successful and hopefully, these guys will come in here ready to go to work and compete,” Swinney said after the spring game. “D.J. has to have a great summer from a leadership standpoint and he has to help us develop.”

This past season showed just how important it is to have a capable backup quarterback. When Trevor Lawrence missed two games in COVID-19 protocol, Uiagalelei stepped up and didn’t miss a beat.

Clemson doesn’t have that option right now, so ClemsonSports.com is evaluating three quarterbacks currently in the transfer portal who could fill the role:

Grant Tisdale, Ole Miss

A former four-star recruit, he only played two game in his career with Ole Miss. A member of the 2019 recruiting class, the 6-foot, 215 pounder had 16 offers coming out of Allen High (Texas). A dual-threat quarterback, he wasn’t used by former Rebels coach Matt Luke or Lane Kiffin. Tisdale is just a redshirt freshman, so he would have plenty of eligibility at Clemson. Still, the reason why he is transferring out of Ole Miss is for playing time.

Austin Kendall was initially at Oklahoma. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Austin Kendall, West Virginia

One of the most experienced quarterbacks in the transfer portal, Kendall chose to leave after being benched in favor of Jarret Doege after nine games in 2019. A four-star recruit in the class of 2016, he committed to Oklahoma coming out of high school. He spent two seasons with the Sooners before grad transferring to West Virginia. In the first nine games of the 2019 season with the Mountaineers, Kendall was 187-of-304 for 1,989 yards with 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He provided some backup experience this past season, including in the Liberty Bowl, where he threw two touchdowns in the second half to lead West Virginia to a 24-21 victory over Army.

Kendall has just one season of eligibility remaining; he would be a plug-and-play type player for the Tigers. But if Clemson is really excited about 2022 quarterback commit Cade Klubnik, Kendall could be a strong backup option for a season.

David Baldwin-Griffin, Appalachian State

A three-star quarterback in the 2019 class, Baldwin-Griffin held a variety of offers. He turned down offers from Georgia, Florida State, Arizona, Indiana, Ole Miss and LSU in favor of Appalachian State. He redshirted the 2019 season and didn’t play a snap this past season. A 6-foot-4, 215-pound dual-threat quarterback out of IMG Academy, he would be another project for Clemson. He would immediately add some depth to the quarterbacks room and be a longterm option for the Tigers.