Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers just lost a player to the transfer portal in the middle of the of 2025 season. That player was cornerback Shelton Lewis.
Lewis announced his intentions to take a redshirt this year and enter the portal on Thursday, per On3 insider Pete Nakos. This comes after a source told Tiger Illustrated that the cornerback is no longer with the program.
This marks the end of Lewis' stint with the Tigers after three seasons. He made 29 tackles, 10 pass breakups and two interceptions throughout 27 appearances that included six starts from 2023 to 2025.
Lewis stands out with a three-star ranking with an 89 score on 247Sports. Representing the Class of 2022 coming out of high school, he was the 41st-best player in the state of Georgia and the 47th-best player at his position.
“A plus athlete with verified top-end speed that has been deployed mostly as an outside cornerback at prep level, but figures to eventually slide inside on Saturdays. Might be under 6-foot, but plays a bit bigger than the number suggests as he has found some success blitzing off the edge and making stops in run support,” 247Sports' Scouting Director Andrew Ivins said in November 2022.
“More importantly, has shown that he can mirror with his hips while gaining depth, which is an important skill to have in an era where so many want to air it out. Doesn’t have a ton of experience actually jamming wide receivers at the line of scrimmage, but has shown that he isn’t afraid to fight through hands at the catch point and is likely only going to get better with his press-man technique once working under the watchful eye of college coaches.”
What's next for Dabo Swinney, Clemson after losing Shelton Lewis
It's a solid loss for Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers' secondary to sustain, losing Shelton Lewis to the portal.
In the meantime, Clemson will look to shake off a poor 1-3 start. Their only win of the season came against Troy while losing to the likes of LSU, Georgia Tech and Clemson. They average 19.8 points per game on offense while allowing 22.8 points per game on defense.
Cade Klubnik continues to lead Clemson's offense, completing 89 passes out of 148 attempts for 996 yards and six touchdowns. Adam Randall and Bryant Wesco Jr. highlight the rushing and receiving areas. Randall leads with 57 carries for 338 net yards and three touchdowns, while Wesco records 24 receptions for 389 yards and five scores.
The Tigers will prepare for their next matchup, being on the road. They face the North Carolina Tar Heels on Oct. 4 at 12 p.m. ET.
