Clemson Football started last weekend with upcoming announcements from four targets from the 2025 class: Zae Thomas, Hardy Watts, Cortez Mills, and Samari Reed.
Thomas, who is a member of the Seminole Nation, understandably selected Florida State.
Watts then chose Wisconsin and Mills committed to Oklahoma. Both were players that Clemson appeared to lead for at one point in time.
Reed originally planned an announcement for July 3rd but pushed it back to Independence Day. He has verbally committed to the Ole Miss Rebels.
BREAKING: Ole Miss adds dynamic playmaker Samari Reed to 2025 class. The Monarch (Fla.) WR had 56 receptions for 1,311 yards and 15 TD as a junior 🦈🧨
— Zach Berry (@Zach_Berry) July 4, 2024
🗞️ https://t.co/xKfGeN55RW pic.twitter.com/asuuQ5ey6J
The Tigers are not taking a large class for the 2025 cycle, and most of their spots have been spoken for. The primary exceptions are offensive line, wide receiver, and linebacker.
The Tigers are among the schools that David Sanders is still considering, but projections are a bit all over the place right now. 247 has a single Crystal Ball for Clemson, but it was placed in March before any official visits occurred. On3 favors Tennessee while Rivals favors Georgia. The wind does not appear to be blowing in Clemson’s direction here.
The only outstanding offer for wide receiver is Dillon Alfred, and the wind does appear to be blowing toward the Tigers in this recruitment. In fact, Alfred was once an Ole Miss commitment. He reopened his recruitment in June and quickly gathered an offer from Clemson.
At linebacker, the Tigers are competing for a commitment from two main targets: Kamar Archie and Logan Anderson. Archie’s recruitment is akin to Sanders’s: he has one Crystal Ball on 247 for Clemson from last month, but On3 has him currently favored to select Rutgers.
Anderson appears to be trending towards Clemson, but it isn’t unanimous. 247 and Rivals favors the Tigers while On3 favors Georgia.
If Sanders, Archie, and Anderson do not commit to Clemson, there is a solid chance that the Tigers could wait and see if any candidates emerge during their senior season of high school football. That means we’ll have to be patient while the staff evaluates and builds their relationships with the players.
While whiffing on four recruits in such a short time definitely stings, it probably isn't as bad as it feels for fans. As I said earlier, most of the class was already assembled. Missing on Watts and Mills hurts a bit. Both are talented players who could make a difference for the Tigers.