Clemson Tigers Putting Together Strong Defensive Recruiting Class

The Clemson Tigers are putting together a strong recruiting class so far.

Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney after a 49-14 win at Wake Forest. / Todd Shanesy / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers are finishing up the 2024 season hoping to compete for an ACC Title and make it to the College Football Playoff. 

It has been a solid season for the Tigers, as they have a (8-2) record and finished with a (7-1) record in the conference. However, their one loss in the ACC ended up being a bad one, as it cost them the potential tie-breaker with the SMU Mustangs and Miami Hurricanes. 

Clemson will have to wait to see what happens in the last couple of games for those teams, as they still have a chance to make it to the conference championship game. 

While the Tigers are certainly still focused on the rest of the season, they also have to have an eye on the future. With the recruiting season heating up, Craig Haubert of ESPN.com recently released their rankings of the Top-50 schools so far. 

Clemson came in ranked a very respectable 25th at this point in the process, but they highlighted a couple of key signings so far. 

“Despite ranking just 15th for the 2024 cycle, the Tigers have already checked several boxes in 2025 with big commitments at multiple positions. Gideon 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.”

On the offensive side of the ball, the Tigers have two running backs in ESPN’s Top 300 coming in, but where they are really shining so far is on the defensive side of the ball. Clemson has safety Tae Harris committed, who is the 48th overall recruit in the class. 

Also in the Top 150 is another safety in Jordan Young and defensive end Ari Waterford. Things could get even better for the 2025 class, as the Tigers are on the list for defensive tackle Isaiah Campbell, who is ranked 38th in the country. 

While there is still time in the recruiting process, the Tigers last season finished with nine recruits in the Top 300 for ESPN, and 11 four-star players overall. 

As of now, 2025 is shaping up to be a good one with a focus on defense and the running game as of now.