Clemson Tigers Add In-State Defensive Tackle to 2027 Class, Beats Out South Carolina

Head coach Dabo Swinney brings home a recruit that he's had his eye on for quite some time on Saturday

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney received a commitment in defensive tackle Seth Tillman. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Clemson Football had its massive recruiting weekend payoff with a plethora of commits joining the program back at the end of May. Now, there continues to be a ripple effect with yet another commit for the 2027 cycle.

The Tigers got a commitment from four-star defensive tackle Seth Tillman, adding to their 2027 class with an in-state recruit. He chose the in-state program over South Carolina, Michigan and Georgia on Saturday afternoon.

BREAKING: Four-Star DL Seth Tillman has Committed to Clemson, he tells me for @Rivals

The 6’4 280 DL chose the Tigers over South Carolina, Georgia, and Michigan

He’s ranked as the No. 11 DL in the 2027 Rivals300 🐅https://t.co/6DXDqLjA9D pic.twitter.com/MJ7hHYFVIh

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 11, 2026

The Rock Hill, South Carolina, native is the No. 14 defensive lineman in the class, according to 247Sports. Tillman is the No. 3 player from the Palmetto State, another critical get for position coach Nick Eason and defensive coordinator Tom Allen. 

Tillman has been on Clemson’s radar for quite some time, being one of the first offers of the 2027 class last June. The dream of remaining close to home is now achieved for the South Pointe standout, who helped take the school to a South Carolina 4A championship.

Despite being mostly linked with the Georgia Bulldogs throughout this offseason, Clemson has made a surge as of late to be able to turn the tide on the recruit. Clemson insider Austin Hannon issued a prediction for Tillman to go to the Tigers after his official visit on June 12.

Now, he made it official on social media. 

The 6-foot-2, 294-pound lineman was a consistent attendee of the Dabo Swinney's summer camps, even posting about them as the recruitment shifted in Clemson’s direction. For an in-state recruit, Clemson or South Carolina will always be top choices. Fortunately for Swinney, he decided to go to the Upstate instead of the Midlands

Tillman’s commitment makes Clemson’s total commitment 25 players for the cycle. He’s the 13th player on defense for the group, adding a top 150 player who could see time early on for the defense when he arrives next year.

With the pickup, Eason now has two defensive linemen in the 2027 class. Tillman will join Jaden Wuerth in the position group, who is also a local product. Wuerth hails from Dutch Fork High School just outside Columbia. The duo makes up half of Clemson’s in-state commitments, with the other two coming from D.W. Daniel High School. 

The Tigers also have an in-state standout from a recent class on the line as well. Five-star Amare Adams finished up his first season with the program in 2025, and he will look to bring more of a presence next season with the position opened up.

Clemson Tigers on SI will remain updated with all of the Tigers’ remaining commitments for the 2027 class, as well as other updates with the rest of their recruiting efforts.