A former five-star recruit who took years to find a starting job, Tristan Leigh finally settled in at left tackle for Clemson before signing with Minnesota as a free agent.
Tristan Leigh is an offensive tackle who arrived at Clemson as a top-15 overall recruit in the 2021 class but needed several seasons to claim a starting job. He eventually became a fixture at left tackle and a permanent team captain before going undrafted in 2026 and signing with the Vikings.
Path to the league
A five-star prospect ranked among the top 15 players nationally in the 2021 class, Leigh redshirted his first year at Clemson and worked through a backup role before winning a starting job in 2023. He played five seasons for the Tigers from 2021 to 2025 and signed with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent after going unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Leigh started 33 games over his final three seasons at Clemson, primarily at left tackle, and logged 2,202 offensive snaps across 42 career games. He helped Clemson capture the 2024 ACC Championship and was voted a permanent team captain by his teammates before his final season in 2025.
2025 season recap
Leigh returned to Clemson for a fifth season in 2025 as a permanent team captain, continuing to anchor the Tigers' offensive line at left tackle. Despite his pedigree as a former five-star recruit, he went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft and signed with Minnesota as an undrafted free agent, now wearing No. 63.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Tristan Leigh
- Yahoo Sports: Clemson OL Tristan Leigh signs undrafted free agent deal with Vikings
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Offensive Tackle
- Group
- offense
- College
- Clemson
- Hometown
- Fairfax, VA, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
