What Kentavion Anderson's commitment means for Clemson

Clemson landed its 15th pledge of the 2026 class on Friday afternoon in Roebuck’s Kentavion Anderson.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Friday, May 16 2025

The Tigers have done it again.

Clemson landed its 15th pledge of the 2026 class on Friday afternoon in Roebuck’s Kentavion Anderson.

The four-star defensive back has skyrocked in the last year at Dorman, using his twitchy range and ability to play multiple spots to garner national interest.

Essentially growing up in Clemson’s backyard, this felt like one recruitment the Tigers couldn’t lose.

In the end, they didn’t.

To make matters even better for the Tigers, they beat out South Carolina for the in-state prospect. The Gamecocks were the first big fish to try to reel Anderson in, with Beamer's staff extending the first P4 offer to the Dorman product.

Suddenly, his star power exploded, and it didn't take long for the Tigers to throw their hat into the ring as well. In October, Clemson offered Anderson, with only an hour separating the safety from the campus he referred to as his dream school.

With such an emotional tie to the program, and the close proximity to getting to campus, this felt like a layup for the Tigers. While it wasn't as easy as maybe an open drive to the basket can be, the staff was still able to get the job done here while competing with their in-state foe for his services.

Clemson hasn’t dipped its toes into much of the local talent just yet for the 2026 class, but this pledge will go a long way in giving the Tigers more staying power as a force within their own state.

With Anderson’s commitment, the secondary for the Tigers has continued to get strong, pairing the rangy Anderson with a force in Kaden Gebhardt.

Add those two with two signees at corner in Marcell Gipson and Shavar Young, and the building blocks of a more physical but versatile secondary are being solidified.

There is still the elephant in the room of Hough (NC) cornerback Samari Matthews, who holds an official visit with Clemson, but is trending elsewhere. Texas, Florida State, and South Carolina hold official visits as well, but a new dynamic can be added to the Tigers’ advantage. Having the already committed Anderson and company on site could be a powerful last sales pitch this staff needs to land the blue-chip defensive back.

Regardless, the Tigers secured an important victory on Friday, one that paints a positive narrative that this class has continued to reinforce.