Tag: Clemson recruiting

Clemson loses major commitment from defensive end Bryce Davis, flips to Duke

Bryce Davis flips to Duke.

In a surprising turn of events, Bryce Davis has decided to change his commitment from Clemson to Duke, just under two months after initially choosing the Tigers.

Davis, a highly-touted 4-star defensive end from Grimsley High School in North Carolina, had initially committed to Clemson on July 20. His decision at the time came after considering other top programs, including Georgia, South Carolina, and Duke. Despite Duke showing strong interest before his original commitment, Davis had opted to join Dabo Swinney’s squad.

Over the past several weeks, however, Duke’s persistent recruiting efforts have paid off, leading to Davis flipping his commitment. He now becomes the first blue-chip prospect to join Duke’s 2025 recruiting class, a significant boost for the Blue Devils.

For Clemson, Davis’ decision is a notable loss. He was ranked No. 59 overall and No. 8 among defensive linemen in the 2025 class, according to the 247 Composite Rankings, making him one of the most highly-rated prospects in the Tigers’ recruiting efforts. His departure leaves Clemson with 14 verbal commitments for 2025.

This move underscores the increasingly competitive nature of college football recruiting, where nothing is certain until National Signing Day. Duke’s success in securing Davis signals a significant win for the program as they continue to build for the future.

Clemson lands in the Top 6 for 4-star recruit Simon Walker

Clemson lands inn the Top 6 for a top target.

Huntsville High School’s Simon Walker, a standout shooting guard in the class of 2025, has revealed his final six college choices, and Clemson made the cut. The 6’5″ rising senior has been drawing attention from top programs across the country, and it’s no surprise given his talent and versatility on the court.

Along with Clemson, Walker is considering Auburn, Virginia Tech, Iowa, Vanderbilt, and Butler. Each of these schools offers a unique opportunity, but they all see the potential in Walker to make an impact at the next level. Rivals ranked him as a four-star recruit, placing him as the No. 108 overall prospect in the 2025 class. Additionally, the 247Sports Composite rankings highlight his skills, listing him as the No. 20 combo guard in the country.

Clemson extended an offer to Walker in late May, recognizing his potential early on. He has already visited the campus unofficially, getting a feel for the Tigers’ environment and what the program has to offer. Walker is set to return for an official visit in late September, where he’ll have a chance to dive deeper into the team’s culture and meet with the coaching staff.

 

Clemson offers 4-star linebacker Anthony Davis

Clemson offers a 4-star linebacker in the 2026 class.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson coaching staff have offered one of the top defenders in the 2026 recruiting class.

Four-star Anthony Davis out of Grayson High (Loganville, Ga.) took to social media Tuesday to announce that he has received an offer from the Tigers. Davis has an opportunity to join one of the top defenses in the country on a yearly basis.

Davis’ highest recruiting ranking comes from Rivals, who rank the highly touted linebacker as the No. 92 overall player in the class. Ranked as their No. 7 outside linebacker in the class, the Tigers’ could use this help at linebacker.

Davis is a hot commodity with over 30 offers from top schools such as Auburn, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Texas, Texas A&M and USC. A lot of competition for his commitment.

Clemson offers 4-star offensive lineman Bear McWhorter, son of former Tigers’ commit

Clemson offers a familiar name.

Bear McWhorter, a 2026 offensive lineman from White, Georgia, has received an offer from Clemson.

McWhorter already holds offers from notable programs like Florida State, Georgia, Alabama, and Auburn. His connection to Clemson runs deep; his uncle is an alumnus, and his father was once committed to playing for the Tigers. This makes the offer from Clemson especially significant for McWhorter, who has ties to the university.

Ranked a four-star recruit by multiple recruiting outlets, McWhorter’s highest rankings come from ESPN, which ranks him as the No. 200 player and No. 9 interior offensive lineman in the 2026 class. Clemson continually looks to improve its offensive line and elevate its offense back to the place it once was.

Clemson lands massive commitment from 4-star defensive end Bryce Davis

Clemson needed this one.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program just landed a massive commitment in their 2025 recruiting class.

Four-star defensive end Bryce Davis announced his commitment to Clemson on Saturday, choosing the Tigers over Georgia, Duke, and South Carolina. According to 247 Sports composite rankings, Davis is the No. 59 overall player and No. 8 defensive lineman in the class.

The 6-foot-3, 245-pound edge rusher had been a top target for Clemson, receiving one of their first offers last June. He made several visits over the past year, including an official visit in June.

With Davis joining the roster, Clemson now has three highly-rated defensive ends in the 2025 class. He joins fellow four-stars Ari Watford and Isaiah Campbell, who committed in January. Davis is ranked as high as No. 51 overall and No. 3 among edge rushers.

Davis’ commitment brings Clemson’s 2025 class to 14 members, which currently ranks top 10 nationally. A huge commitment for he Tigers.

Clemson 2026 target appears on ESPN list of top recruits

A Clemson priority target has climbed ESPN’s updated rankings.

Three-star Georgia wide receiver and class of 2026 Clemson target Ryan Mosley recently appeared on ESPN’s Junior 300 updated player rankings.

The rankings, compiled by recruiting analysts Tom Luginbill and Craig Haubert, “account for top rising performers, new additions to the list and sleepers who are just now rising to the national radar.”

Mosley, a 6-foot-2 receiver from Carrollton High School in the Peach State, received an offer from Clemson in June. He’s a new entrant on ESPN’s list and is ranked the No. 138 overall recruit in the class of 2026.

Per Luginbill and Haubert:

“Prior to getting injured at the Charlotte Under Armour camp, (Mosley) ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash at almost 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds. He has also reached 20.3 mph via Max Speed tracking. We have always loved Mosley’s size and aggressive style of play and were encouraged after seeing him sync his top-level speed and size. The Carrollton native reportedly picked up offers from Ohio State, Clemson and Colorado in June.”

In an interview with The Clemson Insider last month, Mosley offered a lot of praise for Clemson following his visit to the campus.

“Not going to lie, Clemson has always been one of those schools that I always liked since I was younger,” Mosley said. “Just going there and touring it, it just feels like home.”

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Clemson ranks just outside Top 10 in updated ESPN 2025 recruiting rankings

ESPN.com ranked Clemson No. 11 in their update 2025 college football recruiting class rankings Friday.

Recruiting rankings are a year-round business with June and July particularly eventful months that see schools rise and fall.

This year is no different. To that end, ESPN released its updated 2025 college football recruiting class rankings ($) Friday. Clemson slipped one spot from No. 10 to No. 11. Oregon was the biggest riser after the Ducks landed top wide receiver recruit Dakorien Moore, who previously decommitted from LSU.

Clemson ranked one spot below Miami (No. 10) among the top ACC teams on ESPN’s list. Running back Gideon Davidson was listed as the Tigers’ top offensive recruit with safety Tae Harris as the top defensive recruit by ESPN staff writer Craig Haubert.

Haubert says of Clemson:

“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.

On defense, the Tigers have particularly made a splash in recruiting at defensive line, having picked up commitments from three linemen on 247Sports’ Top247 list for the class of 2025.

Haubert highlighted the Tigers’ addition of Ari Watford, ranked the third best defensive end in the nation in ESPN’s rankings and the No. 31 overall player.

Adds Haubert:

“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 has seven players in the ESPN 300 recruiting database. The Tigers’ 2025 class is currently ranked No. 14 overall by 247Sports while On3 has them at No. 7.

RELATED: Clemson has seven recruits in updated Top247 rankings

Among the teams Clemson ranks ahead of on ESPN’s list are defending national champion Michigan (No. 12), Auburn (No. 13), Tennessee (No. 14), Texas (No. 21) and Florida State (No. 22).

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Clemson football 2025 commit has impressive showing at elite camp

Clemson commit Gideon Davidson stood out at the annual Rivals Five-Star Event in Jacksonville.

Highly touted running back and class of 2025 Clemson pledge Gideon Davidson drew praise at the recent 2024 Rivals Five-Star event in Jacksonville.

Listed as 6-foot, 193 pounds, Davidson committed to Clemson in June 2023 over offers from Auburn, Colorado and others. He is coming off an impressive junior year at Liberty Christian Academy in Lynchburg, Va., where he rushed for 2,716 yards and 43 touchdowns (per MaxPreps). Davidson averaged 12.9 yards per carry while leading his team to the Class 3A state championship.

In his profile of the annual camp, Rivals.com national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. suggested that it wouldn’t take long for Davidson to find playing time in a Tigers uniform.

Per Garcia Jr.:

“Officially, there was one Clemson commitment on hand for the event – and Gideon Davidson was among the better all-around backs in attendance, displaying his smooth footwork in drills and holding his own thereafter. One of the most productive prospects in America and the top-ranked prospect in Virginia, Davidson also has a college-ready frame so it may not take long to see him make an impact for Dabo Swinney and company.”

247Sports national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn echoed that sentiment in a previous scouting report on Davidson. Dohn said that he could see Davidson as an early contributor at a high-level program like Clemson and that Davidson had NFL potential.

Rivals has Davidson as a five-star recruit and the top running back in the state of Virginia (No. 60 overall nationally in the class of 2025). On3 ranks Davidson as the No. 3 running back in the nation. Both 247Sports and On3 list him as a four-star recruit.

Davidson was recruited to Clemson by Tigers running backs coach C.J. Spiller, who was recently chosen to be inducted into the school’s Ring of Honor.

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Clemson loses 4-star cornerback target to rivals Florida State

Clemson misses out on a top-tier cornerback.

On Sunday, Clemson missed out on one of its top cornerback prospects. Four-star recruit Gregory “Zae” Thomas committed to ACC rival Florida State. Thomas had narrowed his choices down to Clemson and Florida State, ultimately choosing the Seminoles.

Thomas received his offer from Clemson in April after an unofficial visit and returned for an official visit in early June. Although some recruiting services list him as a safety, Clemson saw his potential as a cornerback. He is ranked as the No. 190 player overall and No. 23 in Florida.

Florida State had been the frontrunner in Thomas’s recruitment, partly due to their defensive backs coach, Patrick Surtain Sr., who coached Thomas in high school. This connection gave the Seminoles an edge in securing Thomas’s commitment.

Clemson will look elsewhere to continue to bolster their secondary in the 2025 recruiting class.

Clemson offers two quarterbacks in the 2026 class

Clemson offered two 2026 quarterbacks.

The Clemson football program has put together one of the best 2025 recruiting classes in college football so far in the recruiting cycle, but like most other programs, the 2026 class begins to get a lot more attention.

Over the weekend, the Tigers offered two quarterbacks in the class. The first is Cocoa (Fla.) four-star Brady Hart, who announced his offer via social media on Saturday. The second came from Queen Creek (Ariz.) High School Tait Reynolds. Both quarterbacks attended the Dabo Swinney Camp this past weekend, showcasing their skills and impressing the coaching staff.

According to Rivals recruiting rankings, Hart is the No. 47 overall player in the class and the No. 3 quarterback. Reynolds highest ranking comes from On3, who has him ranked as the No. 243 overall player and No. 18 quarterback.