Clemson Among Four-Star Defensive Back's Final Two, Sets Commitment Date

Clemson has made it to the final stretch for a longtime priority target, and things are leaning in the right direction for the Tigers.

A four-star defensive back has trimmed his list down to two finalists, including Clemson and Georgia. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers' heater on the recruiting trail has finally slowed, but it might not be long before it picks up again, as a priority defensive target has trimmed his list and set an official commitment date.

On Tuesday night, defensive back Jayden Aparicio-Bailey cut his list down from five programs to two, including Clemson and Georgia. He will choose between the two programs on June 27, as first reported by On3's Hayes Fawcett.

Aparicio-Bailey is rated a consensus four-star prospect and ranks as the No. 117 overall player, the No. 10 player at his position and the No. 4 recruit in the state of Alabama, according to Rivals rankings.

🏠 soon !! https://t.co/Kf5Bi0ynrX

— Jayden Aparicio-Bailey (@Jaayy3_) June 10, 2026

Clemson has had its sights set on Aparicio-Bailey since last summer, when he earned an offer after impressing at Dabo Swinney's annual camp, making him an immediate priority target in the 2027 class.

Throughout the 2025 season, the Tigers were only able to get him on campus once, that being for the Clemson vs. LSU season-opener. As the season progressed, he would take multiple other unofficial visits to schools such as Tennessee, Georgia, Auburn, Alabama and South Carolina.

Heading into the new year, his recruitment started to heat up as the season ended and staffers began to fully dip their toes into hosting players for visits and evaluating talent across the board. After nearly 20 coach visits in January, Aparicio-Bailey cut his list to 10 and began taking more unofficial visits, including one to Clemson in March for its Elite Retreat. The rest were to SEC schools (Ole Miss, Auburn, Florida, South Carolina and Georgia).

After wrapping up his unofficial visit process throughout March and April, he trimmed his list to just five schools: Clemson, Georgia, Auburn, Ohio State, and South Carolina. 

He then scheduled four official visits for the summer, opening with a trip to Death Valley on May 29, followed by Georgia on June 5. Visits to Auburn (June 12) and South Carolina (June 19) had also been on the calendar, but both have since been canceled.

As it stands, the Tigers have the edge over the Bulldogs, with the 6-foot-2 defensive back citing his relationship with head coach Dabo Swinney, Clemson's vision for him in its defense and early competition as primary reasons, according to On3's Steve Wiltfong. This led Wiltfong to submit an expert prediction in favor of the Tigers on Wednesday afternoon.

If he ends up committing, Clemson's staff is looking to place Aparicio-Bailey at cornerback, which would make him the third addition of the cycle, joining three-star Bryant Robinson and three-star Christian Chancellor Jr. in the secondary.