Clemson Tigers' 2026 Defensive Target 'Excited' About the Opportunity

A Clemson Tigers' defensive recruit in 2026 is "excited" about the offer and opportunity.

Oct 8, 2022; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; The logo of the Clemson Tigers is seen on a football helmet during the second half of the game between the Boston College Eagles and the Clemson Tigers at Alumni Stadium. / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

The Clemson Tigers have shown interest in a few safety prospects in the 2026 recruiting class. So far, they have offered three different players and one of them happens to be Xavier Lherisse, hailing from Eau Gallie in Melbourne, Florida.

As Dabo Swinney attempts to create a championship caliber roster over the next few years, the 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes will be pivotal.

Speaking in a recent interview, Lherisse opened up about his excitement to be one of the early offers on the defensive side of the football.

“It was super exciting because I’ve always liked Clemson. My coaches had been telling me how they liked my film, they really liked it. When I was one of the first ’26 players to get the offer, I was super excited.”

Lherisse also spoke out about his thoughts on the school and the camp he attended.

“I really liked it because I feel like the area around there and the campus would just fit my personality and the person who I am. So super cool seeing that. It felt really comfortable to be there. So it was nice.”

Recently, he has been hearing a lot from safeties coach Mickey Conn. On June 15th, coaches were allowed to start talking to players.

“It’s been really good. Because at first he didn’t really talk to me because he wasn’t allowed to, but ever since the day that I was technically a junior, we’ve been talking a lot recently.”

The young safety prospect revealed one area that stands out about Clemson from other schools that have shown interest in him.

“Really, just the facilities. The facility was super nice. I haven’t been able to get up to all these places yet, but Clemson’s definitely been one of the tops I’ve done so far.”

Finally, he spoke out and revealed a key factor that will end up helping decide where he will commit.

“Just somewhere I know I can go in early and make an impact on the field getting playing time. Coaches that believe in me, so I feel comfortable enough to go to them and talk to them, because I know my parents won’t be around.”

All of that being said, Lherisse will be a name to keep an eye on for Clemson. There is clearly a lot of mutual interest between the two sides.

It will be interesting to see if the Tigers can end up securing a commitment from the young defensive back.