The future is bright for the Clemson Tigers despite the rocky 2-3 start in 2025.
Ranked at 16th in the top 2026 football recruiting class, the Clemson Tigers have a loaded class coming to Clemson, South Carolina, in 2026. ESPN released its ranking of the top 50 programs for the class of 2026 recruits, and Clemson was the fourth-highest ranked ACC team, behind Miami (13th-ranked), Florida State (14th-ranked), and UNC (15th-ranked). Four ACC teams were ranked one right after another for the 13-16 spots on the rankings.
Clemson is bringing in 11 ESPN top 300 players into their program for the class of 2026. ESPN has offensive tackle Leo Delaney as the Tigers’ top offensive recruit. Delaney is a 6’6”, 190-pound tackle from Charlotte, North Carolina. The Charlotte native is rated as a four-star recruit according to and is their 104th nationally ranked player in the country. Delaney committed to the Tigers on June 4 this year, and according to 247Sports’ Clint Brewster, Delaney is a projected Day 2 NFL draft prospect.
Other notable offensive recruits include ESPN’s 102nd prospect, Naeem Burroughs, a four-star wide receiver. Joining Burroughs are also: fellow four-star receiver and ESPN’s 187th prospect, Connor Salmin, four-star offensive tackle Carter Scruggs (ESPN 250th recruit), four-star offensive guard Grant Wise (ESPN 298th), four-star offensive tackle Adam Guthrie (ESPN 157th), four-star offensive guard Chancellor Barclay (ESPN 240th), and four-star dual-threat quarterback Tait Reynolds (ESPN 279th)
On the other side of the ball, the key defensive piece is in-state recruit Kentavion Anderson. Anderson is a four-star safety from Roebuck, South Carolina, who is ESPN’s 128th-ranked prospect. With a 6’2” 185-pound frame, Anderson is primed to be a playmaker in the backend of the Clemson defense in years to come.
With those 11 ESPN top 300 recruits, the 2026 season and beyond look promising for the Tigers. The best way to get the momentum going for the 2026 season and beyond is to find ways to win as many games as possible in 2025 to help build that foundation for the next class of players coming into the Clemson program.