Clemson RB Named Preseason True Freshman All-American Ahead of Season

The Clemson Tigers running back is expected to do big things during his true freshman campaign

Clemson running back Gideon Davidson's expectations are already high before his first game | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Heading into a hopeful and high-octane season, Clemson Tigers Football players have earned tons of national praise and honors over the past couple of weeks, with another being announced this past Tuesday.

Running back Gideon Davidson was named to the 2025 On3 Preseason True Freshman All-American team, being one of the seven selected from the ACC.

Clemson fans and scouts expect an impressive season out of the No. 3 running back in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports Composite.

The 200-pound elusive back could continue the trend of Tigers being named to the list by the end of the season, following in Sammy Brown, Khalil Barnes and Peter Woods’ footsteps – all being honored on the finalized list after their dominant true freshman seasons.

Davidson immediately impacted Liberty Christian Academy in Virginia, eclipsing over 5,000 rushing yards and 86 touchdowns from scrimmage in only two seasons at the varsity level.

He also contributed nearly 140 tackles, five interceptions and two sacks on the defensive side of the ball, flexing his natural ability at the sport.

Leading the Bulldogs to back-to-back state championships, Davidson was named in multiple honors categories as a junior and senior, earning MaxPreps 2023 National Junior of the Year, Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Virginia and MaxPreps Virginia High School Football Player of the Year in 2024.

Since touching down on the Clemson campus in 2025, he’s maximized his already NFL potential through simply being a student of the game.

“[It’s] his first time getting here and learning what to do. Learning how to line up, learning what the protections are, learning what the language was, that’s where he’s grown the most,” Dabo Swinney said during fall camp. “Physically, he’s gifted. He showed up here that way, God blessed him, and he’s even better than he was physically because he’s had a whole offseason.”

“He knows where to go line up today, he knows what practice looks like, he’s just mentally further along because he went through the spring, so that’s a blessing for him. What I want to see from him is whether he is further along from a performance standpoint when it comes to ownership of protections.”

While he may not be projected as the day one starter out of the backfield for Clemson, the running back position for the Tigers will look similar to the front seven, with the case point being that a lot of different guys are likely to play, whether it’s splitting carries or rotations of multiple guys.

With the Tigers’ track record of turning true freshmen into on-the-spot contributors, Davidson has every chance to add his name to the growing list, looking to prove why the early praise is more than deserved.