It is National Signing Day, but Clemson's 2025 group was largely in the books in mid-December and the latest transfer portal addition came in early January with former Alabama linebacker Jeremiah Alexander.
Quantity-wise, it was a smaller class, and therefore by recruiting points accumulation, Clemson was also on the lower end of the final team recruiting rankings.
Clemson sits in 23rd overall with On3's 2025 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings, 27th with the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings and 37th with ESPN's rankings.
By average rating per commit, On3 has Clemson tied for 16th (89.99).
In addition to Alexander, Clemson also added two more transfers in former Purdue defender Will Heldt and former Southeast Missouri wide receiver Tristan Smith to complete a first true dip into the transfer portal.
"I think Dabo has done well to really silence the haters a little bit," 247Sports analyst Cooper Petagna said Wednesday. "I think a Playoff run -- surprise -- they beat SMU in the ACC Championship. They played Texas a little bit more competitive than a lot of people think. That being said, they have a lot of production back. You have to give Dabo Swinney and his staff a lot of credit. He built all that and developed all that through the high school ranks, which is what they've done and which is what people like me have criticized them for not doing -- not going to the transfer portal.
"They haven't been very active in the transfer portal this year. They're a little bit different. They're not living there. I'd never expect them to do that. They took three players, and two players I really like with Will Heldt, an emerging talent off the edge...and then you think about Jeremiah Alexander, a former highly-touted linebacker who has a little bit of on and off-ball versatility. But guys that, especially with Alexander, (Clemson is) familiar with in the recruiting process, and that's really what I expect from Dabo Swinney. He's big on culture. It's first for him."
Petagna is also a fan of the Tigers' high school additions and how Swinney has operated within his culture.
"On the high school side, Amare Adams, we love as a Top 10 player in the country [No. 7], but Brayden Jacobs too," Petagna said. "This is a team that, if you're not going to take a mass volume of players via the high school ranks, then the quality has to be right. You're threading the needle a little bit...The criticism that Dabo Swinney has invited, he's done a really good job the last couple years really trying to, I'd say silence the critics, and doing what's best for his program.
"Hiring guys like Tom Allen as well, getting away from the internal candidates. Going out and getting guys like Will Heldt to take a little pressure off TJ Parker and Peter Woods, I think that will go a long way for Clemson."
Brandon Rink
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- Wednesday, February 05 2025
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