Two Coveted Clemson Football Targets Commit Elsewhere

As official visits wrap up around the country, Clemson just saw two of their coveted recruiting targets wind up choosing other schools over them.

Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney speaks with media / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

All eyes are on how Clemson finishes the 2025 recruiting cycle.

For the majority of time, the Tigers were viewed as having one of the best classes in the nation, comprised of multiple impact players who rank highly in the rating systems of the top recruiting databases.

But as more and more players start committing to schools, those rankings can change in a hurry.

It's paramount that Dabo Swinney and his staff close out the summer months strong and are able to land many of their top remaining targets on the board. Recruiting has become even more important for this program with their head coach's philosophy of not using the transfer portal to bring in players.

With that in mind, Clemson got some tough news when two of their coveted targets decided to choose schools other than them.

On Sunday, four-star offensive lineman Mario Nash decided to stay home as he committed to Mississippi State. Rated as the 23rd-best offensive tackle and No. 282 player in the 2025 class by On3's Industry Ranking, he would have been a welcome addition to their current group.

The 6-foot-4, 270-pounder took an official visit to Death Valley back on May 31 and had been personally visited by offensive line coach Matt Luke at his school.

Nash was named the OL MVP of the Under Armour Next Camp, showcasing that he could potentially become one of the top players at his position in this class.

Unfortunately, he decided to go a different direction.

The one that might have hurt the most, though, was seeing four-star Chauncey Gooden commit to the University of Colorado.

Clemson was the school he had visited the most during his recruitment process, including an official visit on May 31. He told The Clemson Insider that he enjoyed the school "very much" and that the trip "was a great all-around experience."

There seemed to be a lot of confidence that Swinney and the Tigers would be able to get this one done as On3's Recruiting Predicition Machine had them as the overwhelming favorites to land the 6-foot-4, 360-pounder from the state of Tennessee. But he decided to commit to Colorado after his official visit this past weekend.

Clemson already has three offensive lineman committed in the 2025 class, but they're looking to add one, maybe even two, more to this group.