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Clemson stands tall in ESPN's first Top 25 rankings for the 2026 recruiting class

Clemson stands tall in ESPN's first Top 25 rankings for the 2026 recruiting class

USA Today04-05-2025

Clemson stands tall in ESPN's first Top 25 rankings for the 2026 recruiting class
Clemson's 2026 recruiting class is off to a blazing start, landing at No. 3 in ESPN's newly expanded Top 25 rankings — behind only USC and Ohio State.
'Clemson is coming off a College Football Playoff appearance, but still chasing its peak years under Dabo Swinney,' ESPN's Craig Haubert said. 'Their 2026 class looks far more promising than 2025's, especially after a huge March that brought in eight commits — five of them from the ESPN 300.'
The class leans heavily on offense, headlined by four-star WR Naeem Burroughs, ranked 15th nationally at his position. Clemson also has two more Top 25 receivers in Connor Salmin and Gordon Sellars, plus four-star offensive linemen Grant Wise and Adam Guthrie. Dual-threat QB Tait Reynolds is another key piece, rated an 80 and viewed as a potential successor to Cade Klubnik.
Seven Clemson commits so far have earned grades of 80 or higher.
The Tigers are the highest-ranked ACC team, with Syracuse next at No. 9. South Carolina sits at No. 16, just behind. Notably, Georgia and Alabama haven't cracked the Top 25 yet.
Clemson's next big wave of visits comes May 30, setting the stage for more momentum.
Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.

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