Clemson may be fighting to rebound on the field, but Dabo Swinney and his staff are making no excuses when it comes to the future. This weekend, the Tigers will roll out the orange carpet for one of the nation’s premier prospects: Argyle (Texas) Liberty Christian four-star linebacker Cooper Witten, the No. 1 linebacker in the 2027 cycle and the son of NFL Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Witten has already made early stops at Oklahoma and Tennessee, but his trip to Death Valley carries extra weight. Clemson has long made a point of building its defensive foundation around elite linebackers, and with new defensive coordinator Tom Allen joining Swinney’s staff, the Tigers are intent on proving they’re still a destination program for defensive stars.
Ranked the No. 21 overall player in the Rivals Industry Ranking and the No. 4 player in Texas, Witten headlines what’s shaping up to be another must-get class for Swinney. Clemson already has four commitments in its 2027 haul, including quarterback Kharim Hughley and linebacker Max Brown, giving the Tigers an early foundation to build on.
For Swinney, who has built Clemson into a national brand on the back of elite recruiting, Witten’s visit is more than just another weekend in Death Valley — it’s a chance to prove the Tigers remain a force in the national recruiting landscape, no matter what the current record says.