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5 Dabo Swinney signees in Clemson football 2025 class with most to gain in spring practice
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- 5 Dabo Swinney signees in Clemson football 2025 class with most to gain in spring practice
Clemson football signed 15 freshmen on December's national signing day , and 13 of them arrived in December and January.
Tigers coach Dabo Swinney 's 2025 recruiting class, which ranks 27th according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, has all of its members on campus except three-star defensive lineman Makhi Williams-Lee and offensive lineman Tucker Kattus . Both will arrive in the summer.
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Many of the signees practiced with Clemson during its prep for the CFP or attended the first-round playoff matchup against Texas , including quarterback Chris Denson , running back Gideon Davidson and offensive lineman Brayden Jacobs .
With the 2024 season over, these signees hope to become immediate contributors for Clemson in 2025. Here are five candidates who will benefit the most from spring practice.
Gideon Davidson , RB
With Clemson's running back room in flux with Phil Mafah 's eligibility expiring and Jay Haynes recovering from a torn ACL , Davidson can emerge as the team's top running back with a strong performance in spring practice.
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Davidson will battle Keith Adams Jr., Jarvis Green , David Eziomume and wide receiver Adam Randall , who Swinney said will get snaps at running back. Swinney called Davidson the best running back in the 2025 class because of his speed and explosiveness. If Davidson can separate himself, he could be Clemson's Day 1 starter in the 2025 season.
Amare Adams, DT
Adams, Clemson's top-rated prospect , could have an immediate impact on Clemson's interior defensive line. With a 6-foot-4, 315-pound frame, he possesses the power, strength and speed to cause havoc.
Adams' first season could have a similar impact to Peter Woods in his freshman year, where he played in 12 games and made two starts. Adams will provide immediate depth behind Woods, Stephiylan Green and DeMonte Capehart if he returns.
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MORE: Where Clemson football is ranked in early 2025 rankings in Dabo Swinney's 17th season
Marquise Henderson, WR
Henderson was the only athlete Clemson signed in 2025, and Swinney said he will start off on offense. Henderson, who will likely play at wide receiver, can use spring practice to get acclimated to Clemson's playbook and Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik .
Swinney wants Henderson to start on offense because cornerback is easier than what wide receivers have to do. Henderson may play on defensive eventually, but he can carve out a role on offense in spring practice.
Chris Denson, QB
Denson is Clemson's first quarterback signee since 2023. A Coastal Carolina commit, he flipped to Clemson in November. He will likely be the Tigers' quarterback of the future after Klubnik and Christopher Vizzina's times are up.
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Denson can maximize his time in spring practice to learn from all the quarterbacks, offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and other coaches. .
Brayden Jacobs, OL
Swinney brought in an entire offensive line unit this class, and Jacobs headlines the unit. At 6-7, 310 pounds, Jacobs possesses quickness, mobility and the size to anchor both tackle positions.
With starting offensive tackles Blake Miller and Tristan Leigh returning for one more season, Jacobs can learn from both and offensive line coach Matt Luke starting in spring practice as he could be in line to start at either tackle position in 2026.
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Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dabo Swinney: Clemson football signees to watch in spring practice
