CLEMSON — Tristan Smith, Clemson football‘s first non-quarterback portal transfer, is treating 2025 as if it is his last in college despite the possibility of returning next season.

He was one of three transfer players to join the Tigers this season but has only one year of eligibility remaining unlike the others. That could change as rules regarding eligibility of athletes who played in junior college are uncertain.

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“If I just so happen to get another year, I would rather them tell me after the season, so I can give it my all this season,” Smith said Aug. 8. “I feel like if I get another year (right now), I’m going to get comfortable just me being me.”

Smith spent two seasons at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, recording 16 catches for 231 yards and two touchdowns over 17 games. He transferred to Southeast Missouri State, an FCS program, last year, catching 76 passes for 934 yards and six touchdowns.

He transferred to Clemson in December and will be one of three depth receivers (Tyler Brown, Cole Turner) behind projected starters Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore.

He could have another year of eligibility via a petition or an NCAA waiver because of Diego Pavia. The Vanderbilt quarterback, who played two years at a junior college, received an injunction granting him an extra year of eligibility after a judge ruled the NCAA eligibility policy violated antitrust laws and forced athletes to miss out on NIL dollars.

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The NCAA vowed to appeal the ruling in Pavia’s case but approved a blanket waiver that granted an additional year of eligibility to athletes in 2025-26 who previously “completed at a non-NCAA school for one or more years” and would have completed their eligibility following the 2024-25 season in December.

This ruling only applied to players within their “five-year clock,” which is a rule stating that NCAA athletes must complete their four years of eligibility within five years of first enrolling at any college. This has caused other junior college athletes to file lawsuits against the NCAA.

Smith is already eligible for this season, but he could fight for a fifth year for 2026, which was something Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was optimistic about when the Tigers added him.

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“I know there’s been some waivers granted out there,” Swinney said Dec. 18. “… He’s played two years, started out in juco and did not play a lot as a freshman. So, I don’t know, but maybe there’s a process there.”

There’s no guarantee a petition or waiver will be granted for Smith if he files one, but that isn’t on his mind right now. The feeling that this could be his last season in college is motivating him to be a contributor as No. 6 Clemson prepares to host No. 9 LSU Aug. 30 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at Memorial Stadium.

“I’d rather just play this season like it’s my last season,” Smith said.

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football: Tristan Smith could get extra year of eligibility