With the 2025 roster seemingly set in stone, Clemson basketball coach Brad Brownell is now looking ahead to the 2026 class and what kind of replacements he may need to make.
There's a long way from not until the 2026-27 season but that doesn't diminish the importance of the 2026 class. These recruits will be critical when it comes to replacing the seniors who came over from a multitude of schools via the transfer portal next season. Brownell knows that.
It'd be silly to sit here and think that there won't be a lot of attrition next offseason. Is it too early to even look at that? Of course, the 2025-26 season hasn't even tipped off yet.
But that doesn't mean Brownell can just forget about the 2026 recruiting class.
Fortunately for Tiger fans, he hasn't forgotten. He has extended 11 offers in the 2026 class so far and the most recent was just this past weekend as he offered four-star forward Dean Rueckert from Utah.
This was the sixth offer to a small forward by Brownell in the 2026 class as it looks like that's the main position of need in the 2026 class. He's offered six small forwards, two guards, a power forward, and two centers, according to 247Sports.
Rueckert is the third-highest-ranked small forward to be offered by Clemson behind only Christopher Washington Jr. and Anthony Thompson. He's also one of six top-50 recruits to hold a Clemson offer.
It's still early on and there are no crystal ball predictions for Rueckert, but looking at the offer sheet, you have to like Clemson's chances -- although BYU has been a powerhouse on the trail lately.
Rueckert is ranked the No. 46 overall recruit and 19th-best small forward in the 2026 class.