Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program have had an interesting 2025 recruiting cycle.
The Tigers stormed out the gates, landing multiple big-time recruits that landed the program among the Top five recruiting rankings. Over the past couple of months, however, Clemson recruiting has been rather quiet. Once on a wild trajectory with this class, Clemson is back around where it’s been the past few seasons.
It’s not a bad thing, as Clemson as done a great job with their recent recruiting classes. The most recent 2023 class was one of the top performing freshman classes in the country. It’s just not where the Tigers could have been.
Recently, ESPN updated their Top 25 recruiting rankings (subscription required), with Clemson staying put at No. 11 in the country.
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.
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.
There’s not a full update on the Tigers, with them failing to mention the Tigers’ most recent commitment, 4-star defensive lineman Bryce Davis. According to 247 Sports composite rankings, Davis is the No. 59 overall player and No. 8 defensive lineman in the class.
With that huge class addition, it looks a lot better. The biggest issue is the discrepancy between the Tigers’ offense and defense in the class. They have successfully recruited a lot more talent on defense than offense.
It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of this recruiting cycle goes for the Tigers.