Young Tiger Gideon Davidson projected to lead Clemson RB production

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247Sports ranked the Top 10 running backs in the ACC next season, and for Clemson, it's going from a fourth-year senior to a first-year freshman.

Top 100 prospect Gideon Davidson checks in at No. 8 overall on the list:

2024 Rushing Stats (HS): 223 attempts | 2,054 yards | 9.2 avg. | 34 touchdowns

"Starting running back Phil Mafah exhausted eligibility in 2024, leaving 216 carries up for grabs in 2025. Former three-star recruit Jay Haynes will get the first crack at the starting job after flashing as a sophomore, but can he hold off on the talented freshman behind him? Davidson finished as the No. 5-ranked back in 2025 and is the highest-rated running back to commit to the Tigers in five years. He's a home run hitter with an elite track and field background at Lynchburg (Va.) Liberty Christian Academy. Davidson was the state of Virginia's Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior."

He was one of the Tigers' longest-standing commits with a pledge stretching back to June 2023, ahead of a junior campaign where he was honored as the MaxPreps National Junior of the Year. He had 2,795 yards on 217 carries for an average of 12.9 yards per carry as a junior.

Davidson enters a wide-open running back rotation with limited contributions thus far from Keith Adams Jr., Jarvis Green and David Eziomume, and the 2024 No. 2 RB Haynes coming off of a torn ACL suffered in early December's ACC Championship Game.

Louisville's Isaac Brown leads the ranking, who rushed for 151 yards on 20 carries in the Cardinals' 33-21 win at Clemson last season.

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