Veteran Clemson football defensive back to enter NCAA transfer portal

Clemson is losing a defensive depth piece to the portal.

Cornerback Malcolm Greene is entering the portal as a graduate transfer, he announced Thursday via social media. Greene ends his Clemson career having played in 29 games (five starts) from 2020-22.

“First, thank you to God for the blessings, lessons and guidance throughout my life,” Greene said in a statement posted to his Twitter and Instagram pages. “Thank you to Coach (Dabo) Swinney and staff for giving me an opportunity to grow and develop at Clemson University over the past three years.”

“Lastly, I want to thank all my teammates. The brotherhood established between you all and I is deeper than football. I have decide to enter the transfer portal.”

Greene was credited with 40 tackles (4.5 for loss), four pass breakups, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble across 473 snaps and would’ve likely played a backup cornerback or nickelback role in 2023.

In 2022, Greene played in seven games with two starts for Clemson before suffering a season-ending groin injury. He was listed as a co-backup with linebacker Wade Woodaz at the team’s strongside linebacker/nickelback position on the pre-Louisville depth chart, the last time he was healthy.

Greene also is facing an active civil court lawsuit filed last October on behalf of crash victim Karen Lorraine Alvarez, who accused Greene and his former Clemson teammate Fred Davis II of “racing their vehicles” prior to Davis’ car colliding with Alvarez’s postal vehicle on July 21, 2021 on U.S. Highway 123 in Clemson.

Davis was arrested and charged with misdemeanor reckless driving after the 2021 crash, in which he collided with the rear of a postal worker’s vehicle at 70 mph, according to police reports. Subsequent tests showed Davis’ vehicle was traveling 115 mph when he first applied his brakes 2.8 seconds before the collision.

Greene wasn’t publicly alleged as being involved in the crash until last October, when the civil suit was filed, but Swinney said at the time the program has “known the details since it happened” in July 2021.

Swinney also said last October the lawsuit against Davis and Greene “doesn’t change anything as far as their status on the team.” Both cornerbacks, who Swinney said faced internal discipline after the incident in 2021, remained with the program through the 2022 season.

“I think everybody knew this was coming,” Swinney said at the time. “It’s a civil suit and that stuff will play out, but certainly we all know there’s consequences. Even though it was a year ago and they’ve had a lot of things internally and all that stuff, that’s something, as I’ve said (before), that there’s gonna be consequences for that for a long time. That’s life.”

According to publicly available Pickens County court records, the lawsuit against Davis and Greene is scheduled to enter its first action, an alternate dispute resolution (better known as a mediation), on May 3.

Davis was one of 10 Clemson players who previously entered the transfer portal during the last window in December. He is now enrolled at Central Florida. Greene, a former four-star 2020 recruit from Virginia, is Clemson’s first spring transfer for the portal window that opened April 15 and runs through April 30.

Greene’s departure puts Clemson at 87 scholarships, two above the NCAA maximum of 85. His departure will likely benefit one of three preferred walk-ons who were previously at risk of losing their scholarships if Clemson was still above the maximum entering its 2023 season opener.

Clemson football 2022-23 transfers

• LB Sergio Allen (Cal)

• WR Dacari Collins (NC State)

• DE Kevin Swint (Georgia State)

• QB Billy Wiles (Southern Miss)

• LB LaVonta Bentley (Colorado)

• CB Fred Davis II (UCF)

• RB Kobe Pace (Virginia)

• QB DJ Uiagalelei (Oregon State)

• WR E.J. Williams (Indiana)

• DL Etinosa Reuben (Georgia Tech)

• DB Malcolm Greene (TBD)