The Clemson Tigers continue to stack an elite group of recruits for the class of 2026.
As first reported by numerous sources, Clemson earned the commitment on Friday of five-star in-state safety Kentavion Anderson. The Tigers won the hotly contested battle over the likes of the Florida Gators and hated rival South Carolina Gamecocks.
The 6’2″, 200 pound Roebuck native ranks as a top-ten safety in the nation by most outlets and the No. 2 player in the state of South Carolina, trailing only fellow safety and Gamecocks commit J’Zavien Currence.
According to a story from the Clemson Insider, Anderson told the program months ago of his intention to commit and that the battle has been effectively over for a long time, something which is of course always nice to hear.
“I told them I am coming,” Anderson said. “That in three months, y’all going to see me…That was always my dream school. They are giving me the opportunity to become a Tiger.”Currently, the Tigers have the No. 4 ranked recruiting class in the country for 2026, according to 247 rankings, trailing the USC Trojans, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and Ohio State Buckeyes.
Anderson is the second elite safety commit, joining Ohio native and four-star Kaden Gebhardt, who committed to Clemson over offers from some other elite programs as well.
With a total of 15 commits, this could be shaping up to be Dabo Swinney’s first top-ten class since 2021 and coming off a bitterly disappointing finish outside the top-25 in the last cycle.
Swinney knew the way Clemson has recruited in the last couple of years is not sustainable, and clearly he has taken things up a notch as he tries to get his program back to competing for and winning championships.
Bringing in a player like Anderson who looks capable of being the future anchor of the defense for years to come is a heck of a move to continue trying to make that happen.