Ex-Tiger Opens up on Transfer, says Clemson Program ‘Wasn’t Where It Needed to Be for Me’

A former Clemson defender recently opened up about why he transferred away from the Tigers’ program.

Former Tiger defensive ack Andrew Mukuba made some interesting comments regarding his decision to leave Clemson and transfer to Texas.

Mukuba entered the portal in December 2023, following three seasons with the Tigers. He joined the program in 2021 and totaled 149 tackles during his Clemson career from 2021-23.

“My time there at Clemson, I just felt like I wasn’t really getting better,” Mukuba said in an interview on the Behind The Facemask podcast . “I wasn’t being pushed enough to where I could reach my potential, my peak. I feel like the program wasn’t where it needed to be for me and the whole team to be successful. I feel like after (junior year), it was only right for me to transfer.”

Mukuba made an immediate impact for the Tigers in 2021, earning freshman All-American honors from nearly every outlet that year, in addition to being named the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year. He then started 11 of the 12 games he played in for Clemson in 2022 before playing in 10 games (all starts) in 2023.

A senior from Austin, Texas, Mukuba transferred to Texas this spring, and the 6-foot, 190-pounder recalled what his conversations with Clemson coaches were like when he told them that he planned to leave and hit the portal.

“Obviously, no coach wants to hear one of their players is about to leave, for whatever reason, but I felt it was a conversation that needed to be had,” Mukuba said. “This is my future and this is something that’s going to affect me, but I don’t think they really saw it from that perspective. But I understand the coaches obviously want me to stay there and help win ballgames and do all that other cool stuff. But I felt like it was time for me to make a decision for myself, which I know was best for me. So at the end of the day, they were understanding and they obviously supported me through the whole thing.”

Ultimately, Mukuba opted for Texas as his transfer destination, choosing Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns over Oregon.

“Everything just played to my favor,” he said. “I’m looking to have a big year, and there ain’t no better way to do it than playing in a big league like the SEC.”

“(Sarkisian) is a really standup guy,” Mukuba added. “I can tell he cares a lot about his players and I can tell he cares about where his program is heading and how he’s directing his program. … That’s the coach I wanted to play for.”

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