Clemson’s Recruiting Woes:
October 30, 2025
In the high-stakes world of college football recruiting, few programs have built a reputation quite like Clemson. Under head coach Dabo Swinney, the Tigers were once the gold standard for locking down commitments early and holding them through the grueling cycles of visits, rumors, and rival overtures.
It was a point of pride:
Clemson didn’t flip; recruits didn’t decommit. Relationships trumped everything, and the program’s culture—rooted in faith, development, and championships—sealed the deal. But as the 2026 recruiting class stumbles toward early signing day on December 3, that ironclad legacy is cracking under the weight of name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals.
In the past three years, since NIL exploded onto the scene in 2021, Clemson has seen a wave of decommittments that would have been unthinkable a decade ago. The latest blows to the 2026 class underscore a harsh reality: In the age of cash collectives and booster bids, even Death Valley’s allure has limits.
The 2026 Class: A Promising Start Turns SourClemson’s 2026 recruiting class kicked off with fireworks. By midsummer, Swinney and his staff had amassed 21 verbal commitments, including 15 four-stars and six three-stars, propelling the Tigers to No. 13 nationally in the 247Sports Composite rankings—trailing only Miami in the ACC. It was a rebound from the disastrous 2025 cycle, where seven high-profile flips tanked the class to No. 26, the lowest under Swinney since 2010.
Optimism ran high, with four-star commits like safety Kentavion Anderson publicly declaring they were “ALL IN” and shutting down their recruitments.Then the cracks appeared. On September 25, four-star edge rusher Dre Quinn, a Georgia standout ranked as the No. 36 edge in the nation, became the class’s first decommitment. Quinn had pledged to Clemson over Texas in July, a coup in an NIL-heavy landscape, but whispers of visits to other programs violated Swinney’s unwritten “no-look-back” rule for commits.
The hits kept coming. On October 27, three-star safety Blake Stewart—committed since July over Michigan and Vanderbilt—announced his decommitment, fueled by persistent recruitment from Miami. Just two days later, on October 29, four-star defensive lineman Keshawn Stancil flipped to Miami, dropping Clemson’s class to No. 16 and leaving them with a glaring hole on the D-line (now just two commits: JR Hardrick and Kameron Cody). These aren’t
But as NIL evolved from endorsement side-hustles to full-blown recruiting inducements, the floodgates opened. Post-2022, when defensive coordinator Brent Venables’ departure triggered four flips, the trend accelerated.
By 2025, Clemson hemorrhaged seven: quarterback Blake Hebert (to Notre Dame), defensive linemen Bryce Davis and Isaiah Campbell, offensive lineman Jaylan Beckley (to Oklahoma State), and others. thestate.com +2 Add in four-star cornerback Graceson Littleton’s November 2024 exit, and the past three years tally at least 14 decommitments—more than the previous decade combined.
NIL’s Double-Edged Sword: Bidding Wars and Clemson CautionThe culprit? NIL, unapologetically. What began as a 2021 Supreme Court-fueled empowerment for athletes has morphed into a pay-for-play shadow market, with collectives doling out seven-figure deals to sway high schoolers. Clemson, long a holdout on “transactional” recruiting, has been outbid repeatedly.
Five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr., a Clemson lean, chose Tennessee’s deep-pocketed NIL war chest over Tiger Town.
No decommit has cited money outright—recruits rarely do—but the pattern is undeniable: Flips to NIL powerhouses like Miami, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma State.
Swinney’s stance is principled: Clemson prioritizes retention over inducements, a strategy that’s kept portal exits low (Andrew Mukuba was the first projected starter to leave for cash). “Just do your thing on the field and the money will come,” four-star commit AJ Hoffler echoed in 2022.
But in a “wild, wild west” era, as Swinney calls it, principles don’t sign dotted lines.Rivals exploit this, with boosters flooding recruits’ inboxes while Clemson preaches patience. The result? A 2025 class graded D+ by analysts, despite one five-star (Amare Adams) and solid position depth. Without those seven flips, it would’ve ranked No. 4 nationally.
Fan frustration boils over on X, where posts lament Clemson’s “mediocrity recipe” of NIL aversion, portal neglect, and in-house coaching hires. “David Sanders isn’t turning down a 7-figure deal… for ‘great culture,’” one observer quipped.
@Clemson_Addict Even Swinney’s staff shaded Hebert’s flip with subtle jabs about “transactional” vs. “relationship-driven” recruiting.
Charting the Decline: Clemson’s Decommitment Surge
To visualize the shift, consider this breakdown of Clemson’s decommitments over recent cycles. The pre-NIL stability (2016-2020) contrasts sharply with the post-2022 chaos.
Note: 2026 data through October 30 shows 3 decommitments; full cycle pending. Remedies or Resignation? Navigating the New Normal Can Clemson remedy this, or is flip-flopping the NIL era’s permanent fixture? Swinney remains defiant: “God’s gonna bring the right ones here.” Short-term fixes include aggressive over-recruiting in-state talent—South Carolina’s pipeline is rich, yet underutilized—and leveraging the transfer portal more boldly.
The NCAA’s House settlement, finalized in 2025, expands scholarships to 105 and mandates “fair market value” NIL, potentially leveling the field by allowing direct revenue-sharing (up to $20-22 million annually per school). Swinney calls it a game-changer: “Nobody’s going to have more money than Clemson,” thanks to IPTAY and 110 Society commitments.
Yet deeper reforms loom. Critics urge Swinney to poach proven coordinators (à la Garrett Riley from TCU) over promoting grad assistants, and to integrate NIL proactively without leading with it. On-field success matters too—a 2025 playoff run could stem the tide, as Miami’s resurgence lured Stancil.
Ultimately, NIL’s here to stay, transforming recruiting into an auction house. Clemson can’t outbid everyone, but blending its developmental ethos with strategic NIL use could restore balance. As Swinney navigates this “ebb and flow,”
the Tigers must adapt or risk fading from elite contention. The 2026 class hangs in the balance—will it be a blip or a bellwether? Onward, indeed, but with eyes wide open.
