Clemson continues push for top-five recruiting class with latest commitment

Clemson wasted no time locking down plenty of top talent in the 2025 cycle, as Dabo Swinney and his staff did a bulk of their recruiting damage back in the winter and early spring.

In need of some more heavy artillery to add to the top-10 recruiting class, the Tigers landed one of their top targets left on the board on Saturday as Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley four-star EDGE Bryce Davis chose the ACC program over Duke, Georgia and South Carolina.

“You just can’t beat that family feeling at Clemson,” Davis told On3’s Chad Simmons. “People talk about it and you hear a lot about it, but Clemson is different. There is nothing fake about Clemson or the people at Clemson and that is what put them on top of my list.”

The No. 71 overall prospect and No. 9 EDGE in the On3 Industry Ranking, Davis becomes the sixth top-100 prospect to commit to Clemson this cycle. The addition of the 6-foot-2.5, 265-pounder bumped the Tigers’ class up two spots to No. 6 in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings, leapfrogging Notre Dame and Texas A&M in the process.

Elite defensive commits highlight Clemson’s class

Clemson is eyeing a monstrous haul on the defensive side of the ball come this December. Davis makes four elite pledges at the EDGE position or defensive line this cycle.

Durham (N.C.) Southern four-star defensive lineman Isaiah Campbell is the nation’s No. 40 prospect and No. 4 DL, while Lake City (S.C.) South Florence four-star DL Amare Adams is the No. 6 recruit at the position. Campbell is the No. 2 player in North Carolina, while Adams is the top player in South Carolina.

Norfolk (Va.) Maury four-star EDGE Ari Watford is a top-50 recruit, the No. 5 EDGE in the nation and the top-ranked prospect in Virginia. Both Campbell and Watford committed to the Tigers at the end of January.

“Clemson is a very unique place. The people there and the family oriented culture Coach Swinney has built stood out to me. People that go to Clemson go for the right reasons and that’s something I’ve wanted to be a part of growing up,” Watford told On3.

A pair of coveted defensive backs are in the mix, too.  Cedartown (Ga.) four-star safety Tae Harris is a top-70 prospect and a top-10 safety. Tampa Wiregrass Ranch four-star cornerback Graceson Littleton is On3’s No. 12 corner.

Elite RB highlights offensive additions

The class also features one of the top running backs in the cycle in Lynchburg (Va.) Liberty Christian four-star running back Gideon Davidson. The 5-foot-11.5, 202-pounder is the No. 72 recruit and No. 3 RB in the On3 Industry Ranking and has been committed since June 14, 2023. Davidson is one of two four-star burners in the class, alongside Anderson (S.C.) Belton-Honea Path four-star RB Marquise Henderson.

Buford (Ga.) four-star offensive tackle Brayden Jacobs is a top-20 player at his position and just outside the top 200 overall. Lawrence (Mass.) Central Catholic four-star quarterback Blake Hebert committed to days after Davidson and is the cycle’s No. 28 QB.

“I don’t know how to put it into words,” Hebert told On3 of his decision. “Something just felt right. I had that feeling in my stomach. The way I felt when down at Clemson had that home feeling. I clicked with the coaching staff, my family loved the area and it all just felt right.