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Will Heldt’s journey to Clemson began with a surprise—one that left a lasting impression. When the former Purdue defensive end arrived for his visit, he expected a routine tour. Instead, he was taken straight from the airport to head coach Dabo Swinney’s house for dinner.
What he thought would be a quiet meal quickly turned into something much bigger. Heldt walked in to find a crowd of Clemson players and coaches there to welcome him. The experience was both overwhelming and eye-opening.
“I had no idea what to expect,” Heldt shared on 2 Right Turns, Clemson Football’s official podcast. “Next thing I know, I’m at Coach Swinney’s house, and there are 20 players and the whole coaching staff. It was a crazy moment, but also really cool to see how close everyone was.”
That night gave him a glimpse of the program’s culture, but what truly sold him on Clemson was Swinney himself.
“You hear a lot about Coach Swinney, but when you sit down and talk to him, it’s different,” Heldt said. “He’s real. We barely talked about football—it was just getting to know each other, hearing about each other’s lives. That meant a lot.”
After two years at Purdue, where he racked up 56 tackles and five sacks in 2023, Heldt entered the transfer portal looking for the right fit. The Tigers won him over not just with their football program, but with their people.
“The players, the staff—everyone here is so tight-knit,” he said. “You don’t walk past anyone without a handshake or a ‘what’s up.’ It’s different here, and that’s what drew me in.”
Now at Clemson with two years of eligibility remaining, Heldt is part of a small but significant transfer class, which also includes former Southeast Missouri State wide receiver Tristan Smith and ex-Alabama edge rusher Jeremiah Alexander. For him, though,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/clemson-star-transfer-heldt-explains-173635571.html
Author : Clemson Wire
Publish date : 2025-02-16 17:36:00
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