Clemson defensive end A.J. Hoffler declared his intention to enter the transfer portal on Thursday.
Hoffler, who played seven snaps and recorded an assisted tackle in the Playoff game against Texas, is leaving the program.
Recently, Clemson made their first-ever defensive addition from the transfer portal, bringing in 4-star defensive end Will Heldt from Purdue, who has two years of eligibility remaining.
Hoffler is now among several Tigers players in the portal, including wide receivers Troy Stellato (who has not yet publicly committed) and Noble Johnson (who is heading to Arizona State), along with safety Sherrod Covil Jr., who is transferring to Virginia Tech.
Hoffler Clemson bio
In his debut season in 2024, Hoffler was credited with four tackles and two pass breakups in 74 defensive snaps over seven games.
Notable 2024 performances included:
- A tackle for loss against No. 1 Georgia
- One tackle against NC State
- Two tackles (0.5 for loss) vs. Stanford
- Three tackles against The Citadel
- Three tackles against No. 16 South Carolina
- One tackle against No. 8 SMU
In 2023, Hoffler recorded four tackles and two pass breakups in 74 defensive snaps across seven games. He made his collegiate debut with a tackle against Charleston Southern and had one tackle in subsequent games against Florida Atlantic, Syracuse, NC State, Georgia Tech, and Virginia, along with a pass breakup at Syracuse.
Before Clemson, Hoffler was a standout player from Woodward Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, where he helped his team achieve an 11-2 record in 2022. Over his high school career, he totaled 90 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, and 15 sacks, along with one interception, one fumble recovery, and six forced fumbles.
In his senior year, he posted 21 tackles in seven games. As a junior, he had 47 tackles, including nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss. In his sophomore season, he totaled 22 tackles, four sacks, and seven tackles for loss. Hoffler was recognized as a four-star recruit by PrepStar and ranked as the No. 214 overall player nationally by 247Sports.
Hoffler committed to Clemson on June 21, 2022. Born on August 9, 2004, he hails from Woodward Academy, a school known for producing NFL, MLB, and NBA athletes. His brother, Ozzie, is a defensive end/outside linebacker at Georgia State, having previously played at Kansas State. Hoffler, an economics major, enrolled at Clemson in the summer of 2023 and completed a microinternship with Cisco in spring 2024. His last name is pronounced “HOFF-lerr.”
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