Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program live and die by recruiting in the modern age of college football.
The Tigers were the only non-military academy that did not take a transfer in the 2024 cycle, meaning recruiting was a make-or-break for the program. Luckily for Clemson fans, Swinney and his staff excel in recruiting and have already put together one of the top 2025 classes in college football.
While the Tigers did move down a couple spots, Clemson’s 2025 class remains in the Top 5 of ESPN’s updated recruiting class rankings ($$$).
Despite ranking just 15th for the 2024 cycle, the Tigers have already checked several boxes in 2025 with big commitments at multiple positions. Davidson and in-state prospect Marquise Henderson are a pair of key running back pledges. Davidson, a top-five running back, runs with a nice blend of size, speed and power. He posted impressive numbers as a junior, rushing for 2,700 yards and 43 touchdowns. Henderson is more slightly built at roughly 5-10, 170 pounds, but has explosive, big-play speed. He rushed for more than 2,300 yards as a junior. Four-star quarterback Blake Hebert missed most of his junior season with an injury, but he has good size, he has a smooth and compact delivery, and he moves well and extends plays.
Led by Watford, Clemson landed several defensive linemen ranked in the ESPN 300. Watford is a lengthy player with good initial quickness who can develop into a disruptive edge rusher. In the trenches, Clemson landed defensive tackle Amare Adams, the top-ranked player in South Carolina. The Tigers also pulled tackle Isaiah Campbell out of neighboring North Carolina. Campbell has a big frame and good movement skills. One-time Georgia commit Tae Harris is a nice addition to the secondary. He projects to safety, but he’s versatile enough to play corner. He posted some of the top numbers on the spring camp circuit, including a blazing 4.38 40-yard dash.
Clemson currently has 8 ESPN 300 commits and 11 total commits in the class. There is still a lot of work to do to fill out this class, but it is a phenomenal start.
The biggest target left on the Tigers board is the No. 2 overall player in the 2025 class (according to 247Sports Composite rankings), David Sanders. The highly touted offensive lineman has only one crystal ball prediction currently and that is for Clemson.
This class could develop into something special if they can land a guy like Sanders.