Clemson Dips Into JUCO Waters for Disruptive DT Andy Burburija - A Sign of the Times
For 17 years, Dabo Swinney built Clemson’s recruiting identity around high school prospects. Junior college players?
Not part of the plan. That’s why when Iowa Western head coach Scott Strohmeier heard Clemson was targeting his star defensive tackle, Andy Burburija, his reaction was somewhere between disbelief and curiosity.
“What? Who?” Strohmeier recalled thinking.
But this is a different era of college football - one where even the most tradition-bound programs are being pushed into the transfer portal and junior college ranks to keep pace. And Clemson, facing a sudden shortage of defensive linemen, has broken from its usual script to land one of the JUCO circuit’s most disruptive forces.
Burburija, a 6-foot-2, 295-pound interior lineman out of Crystal Lake, Illinois, is expected to sign with Clemson during the spring signing period. He’s not your prototypical Power 4 defensive tackle in terms of height, but what he lacks in measurables, he more than makes up for in sheer impact.
This past season, Burburija was a one-man wrecking crew for Iowa Western. He racked up 11 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss, but those numbers only scratch the surface of his influence. Quarterbacks were constantly flushed from the pocket, running backs had their lanes erased before they even formed, and offensive linemen looked like they were trying to block a runaway boulder.
“He’s violent at the point of attack and is going to get a lot of knockback,” said Iowa Western defensive line coach Aaron Terry. “He’s going to play on the other side of the line of scrimmage.”
That violence and motor were on full display during Iowa Western’s JUCO national title run. In the championship game against Hutchinson Community College, Burburija led the team with eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. Two weeks earlier in the semifinals, he notched three more TFLs against Tyler JC.
This wasn’t just a strong finish to a good season - it was the kind of performance that forces Power 4 programs to take notice.
Still, Burburija’s road to this point wasn’t linear. He wasn’t a Division I qualifier out of high school and initially tried to juggle football with an accounting major at Iowa Western. That combo didn’t quite work out.
“Having bad habits, then taking four or five accounting classes on top of that, maybe isn’t the best thing to do,” Terry admitted.
Once Burburija shifted to general studies, things clicked - both academically and athletically. And while his 6-foot-2 frame may have made some major programs hesitant, his tape did all the talking.
Programs like Washington State and Kansas State came calling, but coaching turnover at both schools left Burburija in limbo. Washington State’s Jimmy Rogers left for Iowa State.
Kansas State’s Chris Klieman and much of his defensive staff moved on. The door opened wider for Clemson and Nebraska to make their push.
Nebraska made a strong early impression. A shiny new football facility, a familiar face in former Iowa Western assistant Dave Tollefson, and a competitive NIL package put the Huskers in the driver’s seat.
But Clemson didn’t back off. The Tigers leaned on their defensive line pedigree - a pipeline that’s sent names like Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence, and Clelin Ferrell to the NFL - and stayed persistent after Burburija’s visit. Then came the closer: a significantly stronger NIL offer that doubled what Nebraska had on the table.
“That was the final selling point,” Terry said. “Like, ‘Hey, they obviously want me.’ What they put on the table for him money-wise, it was an opportunity he had to take.”
It was a timely move for Clemson, too. The Tigers lost Peter Woods and DeMonte Capehart to the NFL, Stephiylan Green transferred to LSU, and top 2026 recruit Keshawn Stancil flipped to Miami.
That left freshman Kam Cody as the lone defensive tackle signee. In a position group that thrives on depth and rotation, Clemson needed immediate help.
Burburija offers just that.
His arrival also came on the heels of linebacker Luke Ferrelli’s decision to transfer from Clemson to Ole Miss. But if Burburija controls the trenches like he did at Iowa Western, Ferrelli’s absence could be a footnote.
Opposing offenses may not be so lucky. Burburija’s blend of leverage, power, and relentless effort makes him a nightmare to scheme against. Just ask Iowa Western’s own offense.
“There’s times through spring or fall camp where I’m like, ‘Are we going to be any good on offense?’” Strohmeier said. “When we scrimmaged in our spring game and Andy wasn’t in pads, I was a little bit happier.”
His only remaining hurdle: a math class. Burburija needs to pass it this spring to graduate and officially join Clemson’s roster this summer. But if his track record is any indication - never missing a meeting, workout, or practice in two years - the Tigers have every reason to believe he’ll get it done.
“All he’s gotta do is take care of business,” Strohmeier said, “and Clemson’s got a really, really good player.”
Strohmeier would know. He’s coached future NFL linemen like Perrion Winfrey and sent others like Jordan van den Berg and Kemari Copeland to Power 4 programs. But Burburija, he says, is as good as any of them.
In today’s college football landscape, where talent acquisition is as much about timing and NIL as it is about evaluation, Clemson’s move for Burburija is both a break from tradition and a sign of the times.
“It’s opening some eyes to some teams that generally, typically, don’t recruit junior college kids,” Strohmeier said. “That there’s some pretty darn good players at this level.”
Clemson just landed one.