Clemson Tigers Football Loses Four-Star Defensive Recruit to ACC Rival

The Clemson Tigers football recruiting class suffered a major blow with a four-star flip.

Sep 6, 2014; Clemson, SC, USA; General view of a pylon with the ACC logo during the second half of the game against the Clemson Tigers and the South Carolina State Bulldogs at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Tigers won 73-7. / Joshua S. Kelly-Imagn Images

The last few weeks have not been kind to the Clemson Tigers on the high school football recruiting trail.

Earlier in November, cornerback Graceson Littleton de-committed from the program. It created a sizable void in the team’s plans for the future, as head coach Dabo Swinney doesn’t use the transfer portal.

He was one of four players who had changed their minds about attending Clemson, creating a need in the defensive backfield. That need has only grown, as another de-commitment occurred this weekend.

Four-star safety Tae Harris has flipped his commitment from the Tigers to their ACC rivals, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, per Eli Lederman of ESPN.

The No. 48 ranked player in the ESPN 300, this is yet another huge blow for Swinney and his staff, as their future secondary has been ravaged.

With only 11 days until the early signing period, this is a huge addition to a Yellow Jackets program that is on the rise. Harris is the No. 4 ranked safety in his class and the flip comes days after he watched them defeat the North Carolina State Wolfpack during his visit.

A product from Cedartown, Georgia, he is now the second-highest-ranked player in Georgia Tech’s 2025 class which includes six players from the ESPN 300.

Until pulling his commitment on Saturday morning, Harris was the top-ranked player in Clemson’s 2025 class. This is the second time that he has changed his mind about where he will be attending school, as he originally committed to the Georgia Bulldogs in June 2023.

But, in January 2024, he pulled his commitment and two months later was planning to head to the Tigers. Listed at 5’11” and 185 pounds, his football future is incredibly bright.

His decision to join Brent Key’s team gives them two top-100 prospects in next year’s class, joining offensive tackle Josh Petty, who is No. 22. 

Swinney and his group have some work to do if they are to catch up to what was the No. 18 ranked class in the nation, which will only improve with the addition of Harris.