Clemson standout from a very unlikely place predicted to be one of College Football’s breakout stars in 2025
We are already entering our usual phase of the college football offseason, saying goodbye to the stars of yesterday, appreciating those that return, and projecting the next wave of elite football players going into the 2025 season. On3 college football analyst Ari Wasserman is already looking forward to this Fall, and put out a list […]
We are already entering our usual phase of the college football offseason, saying goodbye to the stars of yesterday, appreciating those that return, and projecting the next wave of elite football players going into the 2025 season. On3 college football analyst Ari Wasserman is already looking forward to this Fall, and put out a list of potential breakout stars to know.
Among Wasserman’s selections was Clemson star defensive end Will Heldt. For those unfamiliar with Heldt, he was a star defender last season with the Purdue Boilermakers. It’s a new world with the Clemson Tigers under head coach Dabo Swinney, who opened up the checkbook for the Transfer Portal this offseason.
Heldt was the prized pickup for a program that has been hesitant to dive head first into the portal. Wasserman, like many, is very high on the potential of Heldt in the SEC. Here’s what he had to say.
DE Will Heldt, Clemson
Dabo Swinney is working the transfer portal. Yes, you read that right. Heldt is the first defensive player to transfer into Clemson’s football program and he has a chance to be a real impact player. The Tigers have two elite-level defensive linemen already in Peter Woods and T.J. Parker, so Heldt will already be joining a front that’s going to cause problems for the opposition. Formerly of Purdue, Heldt is 6-foot-6, 265-pound pass rusher who chose Clemson over Texas A&M and LSU. He had 56 tackles, 16 pressures, 10 tackles for loss and 5 sacks while starting every game as a sophomore for the Boilmermakers this past season and could emerge in a huge way on Clemson’s ultra-talented defense.
With the aforementioned Woods and Parker taking some pressure off of Heldt, I expect him to also be tremendous in 2025. His combination of size, length, and closing speed is pretty darn rare. He has a chance to be special under new defensive coordinator Tom Allen.
Heldt is also an early name to know for the 2026 NFL Draft class. He has special traits, and now he will have a ton more people paying attention to his talent. That Clemson defensive line has a chance to be special next season.
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