‘I’m very thankful:’ Ex-SEMO wide receiver Tristan Smith transfers to Clemson

Southeast Missouri State wide receiver Tristan Smith hurdles a defender after the catch against Gardner-Webb on Saturday, Oct. 26, at Houck Field.

Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com

Clemson University head football coach Dabo Swinney’s first-ever non-quarterback transfer portal pickup is coming straight out of Cape Girardeau.

Southeast Missouri State wide receiver Tristan Smith announced his decision to transfer to Clemson on Monday, Dec. 16.

“I’m very thankful,” said Smith, who has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining. “SEMO has always been super supportive. I had a great coaching staff. It’s a small town here, so I feel like my time here was the best it could be and I’m very thankful for that.”

The 2024 second-team All-Big South-Ohio Valley Conference selection played in 11 games for the Redhawks in 2024 after spending the previous two seasons at renowned junior college Hutchinson Community College in Kansas.

Alongside senior Dorian Anderson and sophomore Cam Pedro, Smith helped propel one of the nation’s top FCS receiving corps after posting a gaudy 76-934-6 stat line while leading the team with 84.9 receiving yards per game. The junior capped off his brief, yet impactful stint at SEMO with a career-high 10 receptions for 139 yards against Illinois State in the opening round of the FCS playoffs.

Perhaps what the program may miss the most about Smith, though, is his infectious personality.

“He’s probably the most unique personality in my room,” second-year SEMO wide receivers coach Desmond Noird said in October. “He loves to talk, loves to make people laugh. He’s really the life of the receiver room, honestly. So, he brings good energy. The guys like him and the team likes him.”

SEMO wide receiver Tristan Smith after a big catch against Western Illinois on Saturday, Nov. 16, at Houck Field. (Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com)

The lengthy 6-foot-5, 205-pound wideout brings both quality size and production to Clemson and can be a spark plug to the Tigers’ aerial attack due to his unique ability to stretch the field and be a go-to contested-catch machine.

“A deep threat, a red zone threat,” Smith said of what Clemson fans should expect to get with him. “Just somebody that can do it on and off the field. A leader. Somebody who can just come in and help the receiving corps get better. They already got some elite guys like Antonio (Williams), TJ (Moore) and Bryant Wesco. Just being able to add to that is going to be scary.”

Smith mentioned that he had a handful of Division I-FBS offers in the recent transfer portal cycle, but fell in love with Clemson the moment he stepped foot on campus earlier this week.

“My recruitment process went well,” Smith said. “I had a lot of programs hit me up and a lot of coaches text me on Twitter. I also had a visit to New Mexico State and Nevada. On my visit to New Mexico State, Clemson was trying to get me to visit so of course I had to take that up.

“I got there early morning on Monday and took a visit the whole day. Basically, it just felt like home. It’s only about three hours away from Georgia and I really liked talking to the whole coaching staff. The whole administration and the Clemson family just made me feel like home. I watched them practice and it was a top-tier practice. I watched the team meeting and just seeing them I knew that’s where I had to go.”

Smith, who was born and raised in LaGrange, Georgia, which is located 3.5 hours from Clemson, South Carolina, also said being closer to home and valuing the family aspect of the Tiger program played a pivotal role in his decision.

“When I was talking to Coach Swinney he said, ‘when you become a part of Clemson’s football team, you’re not just in it for your time here, you’re in it for life,’” Smith said. “So, I know that I’m going to be a Clemson Tiger for the rest of my life and so is my family. Just having my family be able to come to the games and be able to be in that atmosphere and just watch me play means the world to me.”

SEMO wide receiver Tristan Smith celebrates on his way to the sideline after a touchdown catch against Tennessee Tech on Saturday, Oct. 12, at Houck Field. (Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com)

Smith is one of two Redhawks to commit to a Division I Power-Four program this week, as FCS Freshman All-American offensive lineman Carter Guillaume transferred to the University of Louisville on Thursday, Dec. 19.

However, Smith’s journey is rather unique — one that embodies patience and hard work. The Georgia native went from not receiving a single college offer coming out of high school to developing at the JUCO level to having a breakout campaign for the co-Big-South-OVC champion Redhawks this past fall.

Now he’s joining an elite FBS program that is currently playing in the College Football Playoff.

“I’m really excited,” Smith said. “Just playing in the ACC and the highest level of football, I just feel like I can compete with those guys. I just want to be a part of a great program at Clemson, so I’m just excited to get on campus and get started.”