Clemson Tigers Had 'Great Visit' With 2026 Three-Star Safety

There's a lot of excitement surrounding Clemson right now.

Following their return to ACC supremacy and a College Football Playoff appearance, Dabo Swinney made the aggressive decision to move on from defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin and replace him with Tom Allen after he was with Penn State for a season.

With so many returners coming back in 2025, the way-too-early top 25 has the Tigers sitting as one of the best teams in the country.

Much of that has to do with the star-studded young recruiting classes that Swinney and his staff have been able to land, silencing some of the doubters who didn't think they could accomplish that without a total embrace of NIL.

With Clemson showing it is possible, that should help them secure some of their top targets going forward.

One of them is now Kaden Gebhardt.

Rated as a three-star safety in the 2026 class, he is viewed as the 50th-best player at his position by On3's Industry Ranking. Following his visit over the weekend, the Tigers offered him a scholarship which firmly puts him on their radar.

The Ohio native seems to have come away impressed by his time on campus, calling it a "great visit" per Steve Wiltfong of On3.

"Everything stands out to me about the Tigers! I have full trust in Coach Swinney, Coach Conn, and Coach Allen! I'm just so grateful to have an offer to play for the Clemson Tigers," the prospect said to the recruiting insider. "It was one of the best visits I have had by far."

His Midwest proximity has him on the radar of Big Ten programs, including Penn State, who is hosting him for a visit this upcoming weekend after some previous trips during this past fall.

Landing him would be huge for Clemson.

Right now, they only have five commitments in the 2026 cycle, and while it's still early, they have their work cut out for them if they're going to finish at the top of the rankings.