Entering the transfer portal is a former 4-star defensive end for Clemson.
A defensive end for Clemson is moving. On3 Sports reported on Thursday that Tigers DE A.J. Hoffler is using the transfer portal with two years of eligibility left. Later, Hoffler posted on his Instagram account to confirm the news. Hoffler played in all 14 of Clemson’s games this season, recording 245 snaps (17.5 snaps per game), 13 total tackles, 1.5 tackles, and three quarterback pressures.
As a true freshman, he participated in seven games and 74 snaps last season. Hoffler is the team’s second defensive portal entrance and fourth portal entry overall. He was the No. 312 overall prospect in the class when he first signed with Clemson as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2022. Originally from Florida, Hoffler (6-4, 255 pounds) played high school basketball in Georgia.
Instead of playing in up to four games and redshting, he showed enough value as a rookie to make seven appearances. However, Hoffler played exclusively as a rotational defensive end and never started a game during his time with the Tigers. Hoffler only got 12 snaps in the ACC championship game against SMU and seven in the Tigers’ first-round CFP defeat at Texas on Saturday, after playing more than 20 snaps in three consecutive games against Pitt, The Citadel, and South Carolina.
Despite having a revolving group of colleagues on the other side of sophomore standout T.J. Parker, Clemson failed to establish consistency at defensive end this season. In addition to acquiring four-star 2025 recruit Ari Watford, the Tigers also acquired former Purdue defensive end Will Heldt through the transfer portal. With Hoffler gone, Clemson will only have seven scholarship defensive ends in 2025, which may lead the school to look at other portal possibilities at that position.
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