Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 10-51@ LSU | 4 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 22-7vs Georgia Southern | 3 | 3 | 3.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 sacks |
| Total | 7 | 6 | 4.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 |
#13
Will Heldt
Senior defensive end for Clemson. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′6″ · 260 lb · Carmel, IN · Carmel HS // Purdue
CFB Index 84 · #34 of 420 edge rushersMedium confidenceReturning to Clemson for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
2
sacks · 2026
4 TFL · 7 tackles · 1 hurries
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 2 sacks, 3 TFL, 3 tackles, vs Georgia Southern
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive end for Clemson. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Purdue in 2023.
- Transferred from Purdue to Clemson in 2025.
Buzz vs Tape
Fans hotter than the country
His own fans read him warmer than the wider college football conversation does — a gap of 22.9 points in belief.
22.9own fans
0national conversation
Will Heldt
Holds up snap after snap without a weakness to attack. Will Heldt has played for two head coaches across four seasons and two programs. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-ACC. The receipt: 4 tackles, 1 TFL against LSU — Week 1, 2026.
7 TACKLES · 2 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
20239 games
- Signed with Purdue3-star out of Carmel
202513 games
- Entered the portal
- All-ACCthird
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-ACC
All-ACC mention (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Clemson
Played his entire career under Dabo Swinney.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Purdue4-8HC: Ryan Walters · Run-leaning
2024Purdue1-11HC: Ryan Walters · Balanced, slow tempo
2025Clemson7-6HC: Dabo Swinney · Balanced
2026Clemson1-1HC: Dabo Swinney · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Elite: tackles for loss (99th percentile). Strength: sacks (97th percentile). Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 3.5 TKL/g, 2.0 TFL/g, 1.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Dabo Swinney
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-ACC
Based on 2025: #4 of 15 ACC DEs
How the All-ACC estimate is computed
35% estimated, 95% confidence interval 31–38%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 22–7
3 TOT · 3 SOLO · 2 SACKS
With J. Smith — 39 AVG · 5 IN 20 · 46 LONG · T. Reynolds — 178 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 11.3 · 38 rush yds (14 car)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
No single standout number, but nothing missing either — competent across the board.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Clemson
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive end · Clemson
Returning around him
- 9 Clemson players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -4 net (11 in / 15 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Clemson · Last season: 7-6 (AP #12) · Talent rank #16 · 2026 recruiting class #20
DNA match
Player DNA
Versatile End
No single standout number, but nothing missing either — competent across the board.
EDGE
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Patrick Payton’s 2023 season.
Matches Patrick on
Height
Sack rate
TFL rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Tyler Baron's junior season at Tennessee (2022).
73%match
NFL Rd 5
Matches Tyler on
Pressure-to-sack conversion
TFL rate
Height
Differs from Tyler on
Class year (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Will Heldt
The defensive line · Clemson
- #13Will Heldt14.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #14London Merritt8 tackles for loss · 2025
- #15Jaheim Lawson6.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #99Markus Strong3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #92Devarrick Woods2 tackles for loss · 2025
17 more on the roster · Clemson team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology