A look into Clemson's recruiting wins, momentum with other prospects |
Grayson Mann
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- Wednesday, March 12 2025
Deep breaths, everyone.
Inhale. Exhale. Clemson has gone nuclear on the recruiting trail, and we have plenty of notes to share. In the last four days, the Tigers have secured seven pledges, vaulting this class from outside the top 25 to the No. 2 class in the nation. The excitement from the community to the commitments we’ve spoken with is palpable, with everyone feeling the juice that has been inserted into this program. What was it about the Elite Retreat that was such a swing in prospects’ minds? One that we can dive into was Dabo Swinney’s speech to the entire group of players in attendance, which extended past the two-hour mark. Two hours sounds like an incredibly long time to speak on any program, but Swinney’s unique pulse on the players in the building and his own roster spoke volumes to those in attendance. That speech alone was the icing on the cake for Connor Salmin, who committed later that evening alongside top wideout Naeem Burroughs that turned a few pledges into a viral surge of adrenaline in the community. It is also unique to note that the players seem to understand the process of what college football is now, and that their sales pitches will be incredibly important in building the class to further heights. One who took this to heart early on was Brock Bradley, who we wrote about earlier in the week being one of the original members of this class. He spent the weekend chatting with several players, some of whom eventually committed to joining forces at Clemson. He particularly worked hard on Salmin, who consistently reached out to the four-star wideout about the positives of what Swinney and Co. could offer. There is a belief within this class from those already pledged that this class can be special, and the mission to grow it further is being taken very seriously. Moving past the commitments, the staff worked very hard behind the scenes on other players who received offers over the weekend, and there are positive returns to report on that front. Starting with four-star edge Kamhariyan Johnson, who announced his offer on the evening of the Elite Retreat, spoke with TigerNet about the process in his first trip to Clemson. He added that Clemson is a top school in his eyes, and already has an official visit locked in for May 30th, taking that relationship a step further. It was important for Johnson to get this rolling and be around other prospects in a similar position, something he noted was significant to see. TigerNet also spoke with three-star defensive lineman Kameron Cody, who received an offer from Clemson in January, and he said his experience was “amazing.” Cody said that you can tell it is a true family environment, adding he loved that players at practice could throw constructive criticism at each other, displaying a certain expectation those guys hold of each other. 2025 transfer Will Heldt spoke to the media on Monday about nothing slipping between the cracks, adding the focus was very sharp compared to his experience at Purdue. Cody’s words only stand to reinforce that, and it is safe to assume other prospects took note of that as well.
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