Clemson Tigers Lock in Official Visit With Fast-Rising 2026 Safety

Clemson will get an official visit from one of their top targets in the 2026 class.

Class of 2026 Olentangy safety Kaden Gebhardt / Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Clemson is looking to secure a highly-ranked 2026 recruiting class.

To do that, they're going to have to win some high-profile battles for the top prospects across the country who are on their board.

Safety Kaden Gebhardt is one of those players.

Rated as a three-star right now by On3's Industry Rankings, there are few scouts out there who think that's where he'll end up by the time the 2026 class is solidified.

That's evident by the schools who are currently going after him.

In addition to Clemson, both Penn State and Ohio State are going after the 6-foot-1 defensive back, signaling that he's much closer to a blue chip prospect than his current ranking would suggest.

The Tigers have gotten an official visit locked in with Gebhardt per Hunter Shelton of On3. He'll be on campus the weekend of May 30, followed by his trip to see the Buckeyes on June 6 and the Nittany Lions on June 13.

"My relationship with Coach Allen and Coach Conn are great. Love everything about the program and the campus. Love where they see me playing and dominating in their defense. I trust the coaches and I could see myself playing for Clemson," Gebhardt told Steve Wiltfong of On3.

Those are the three programs leading the race in his recruitment, although Wisconsin also made his final four.

Gebhardt is coming off a visit to see Clemson in January, and that left and impression on him that hopefully allows the Tigers to win this battle.

It's going to be a tough one to close, though.

On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine has Clemson in a distant third to get a commitment from Gebhardt, sitting at 1.2% while Ohio State is second at 28.1% and Penn State leads at 67.3%.

Things can change rapidly on the recruiting trail, especially in the NIL era.

And with Clemson getting an official visit, they have given themselves a chance.

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