Mar 19, 2025; Wichita, KS, USA; Georgia Bulldogs forward RJ Godfrey (10) prepares to shoo the ball during a practice session at Intrust Bank Arena. Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

Clemson Tigers Men’s Basketball Bringing Back Familiar Face in Transfer Portal

Originally posted on Clemson Tigers on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Apr 4, 2025 12:57 PM ET

The Clemson Tigers’ men’s basketball team had a historic 2024-25 season, winning a program-record 27 games and earning a No. 5 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Unfortunately, they were unable to replicate their March success from 2024, when they advanced to the Elite Eight. This time around, they were eliminated in the first round by the McNeese State Cowboys.

It was a disappointing end to their successful campaign, but head coach Brad Brownell and his staff had to quickly turn their attention to 2025-26.

With the transfer portal opening after the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, there has been a ton of player movement, including from teams that were still actively playing for a championship.

For the Tigers, help was going to be needed in the frontcourt, where virtually their entire depth chart would not be returning.

Starters Ian Schieffelin and Viktor Lakhin were departing along with backup center Christian Reeves and forward Myles Foster.

Clemson hit the portal hard, landing commitments from Nevada Wolf Pack transfer Nick Davidson and Carter Welling from Utah Valley Wolverines.

Joining them in the remade frontcourt is a familiar face in RJ Godfrey.

BREAKING: Georgia transfer SF RJ Godfrey has signed with Clemson, @PeteNakos_ reportshttps://t.co/DPpwUanDsI pic.twitter.com/rVA8IKXhA1
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) April 4, 2025

After spending last year with the Georgia Bulldogs, Godfrey is returning to the Tigers, where he spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career as a reserve, playing in 69 games with one start.

He was seeking a larger opportunity elsewhere and received it in Georgia, where he averaged a career-high 19.4 minutes per game and started all 33 contests he appeared in. However, his role began to shrink down the stretch, which may have inspired him to look elsewhere.

Godfrey is a major addition for Clemson and should step right into a prominent role with the team. His knowledge of the system and what Brownell is expecting of his frontcourt players should help him immensely in his return.

This article first appeared on Clemson Tigers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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