The Clemson Tigers were a little late in offering outside linebacker/edge rusher RJ Hudson, but in the case of the Richmond, Virginia prospect, it was better late than never.
Hudson committed to the Tigers on Friday, choosing Clemson over Maryland with offers from Syracuse, Penn State, Virginia Tech and a host of others on the table. The three-star linebacker, listed at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, took an official visit to Clemson last weekend and commits before the start of the summer dead period, which has also become an unofficial recruiting deadline.
READ MORE: Clemson found an absolute monster linebacker who picked up an offer and dropped his commitment date
Clemson added LB commit RJ Hudson to its class earlier today and he chose the Tigers for many reasons
— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) June 20, 2026
“Connection, relationship, reliability and foundation were big in my decision to pick Clemson."
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“They just kept getting better and stayed on track with recruiting me,” Hudson said to Rivals. “I built strong relationships with defensive ends coach Chris Rumph, linebackers coach Nick Eason, former Clemson star Ben Boulware, defensive coordinator Tom Allen and Coach Swinney. “Those relationships meant a lot to me. They made me feel like a priority.”
Clemson lands pledge from EDGE/LB target RJ Hudson
Hudson's commitment gives Clemson a developmental defensive piece to work with. He's a little undersized to be a natural edge, but Hudson's ability to get to the quarterback is something that defensive coordinator Tom Allen can certainly use in situational packages. He'll be brought in as an outside linebacker, and we'll see how he takes to the position full-time. As a pass rusher, Hudson's credentials speak for themselves with 13 sacks last season as a junior.
The scouting reports from Andrew Ivins at 247Sports rave about Hudson's speed and the fact that he is being recruited to run track in college. Hudson's 6-2 height might be generous, but Ivins' report describes a player that brings full effort and is an honest defender against the run. Those are things that should bode well for Allen, who has developed guys with a similar athletic profile over his long career.
With Hudson securely in the fold, Clemson has 23 commitments in a recruiting class that ranks 11th on 247Sports and 15th on Rivals/On3. The linebacker/edge class has taken form with four-star recruit Santana Harvey leading the way. Two more four-star prospects, Bryce Kish and Desmond Malpress, give the Tigers plenty of interchangeable pieces that can workout as outside linebackers or natural edge rushers. Bigger players like Harvey and Kish might even be able to occasionally put their hand in the ground as defensive ends in an even front.
Clemson's recruiting class is rounding out for the final few sports. The Tigers are likely to take somewhere between 25 and 28 players. Several of the bigger targets will make their announcements in the coming weeks. Clemson is trending well for four-star safety Seth Williams, who will be choosing between the Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs in early July. There is also a Clemson-Georgia battle for four-star defensive back Jayden Aparicio-Bailey, who will be making his declaration next weekend.
READ MORE: Can Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers hold off Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs?
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