CLEMSON – In the current landscape of collegiate athletics, it is growing more rare for coaches to invest in the same players for multiple years. It is even more uncommon to coach the same player for multiple years at two different programs.
For Clemson coordinator Tom Allen, the latter will happen this football season, with Penn State transfer Elliot Washington, III, joining the team.
Washington, a cornerback, played his sophomore season in 2024 under Allen, then the Nittany Lions’ defensive coordinator, helping his team to a College Football Playoff semifinals berth. On Jan. 5, after a successful junior season, Washington announced his commitment to join Allen again, this time in a Clemson uniform.