Clemson Tigers Named Finalist for Top 100 Offensive Lineman Recruit

After a successful campaign in 2024, the Clemson Tigers have been a busy program this offseason.

It was a good season for the Tigers in 2024 with double-digit wins and an ACC Title. The previous season was a down season for the standards of the program, but it seems like coach Dabo Swinney is building something special once again in Clemson.

As the team gets prepared for 2025, there is a lot of reason to be optimistic about the future. Quarterback Cade Klubnik will be returning for his senior year, which is a massive boost for the program.

Klubnik developed into one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Next year, he will be entering the season as a Heisman hopeful and one of the best players in the country.

While the team is going to have high expectations in 2025, they will also be looking to sustain the success that they have built. Recently, the Tigers started to use the transfer portal a bit, which is a new dynamic for improving the team. However, they have also been active on the recruiting trail for 2026.

Clemson appears to be in the mix for a lot of good players, and they have already gotten some recruits to sign.

One prospect who the Tigers have been actively recruiting is offensive lineman Tyler Merrill. The talented offensive lineman is ranked in the Top 100. Merrill ranks 87 overall and is No.2 in the state of Pennsylvania.

He recently announced that he is down to five teams, one of which being Clemson.

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— Tyler Merrill (@BigOak2026) January 26, 2025

He recently spoke about the Tigers’ program and praised Dabo Swinney. The culture of Clemson is certainly helping play a factor in their recruitment of the Top-100 player.

“I am highly impressed,” Merrill told the Clemson Insider. “Definitely not what I expected coming into this. I can tell why Coach Swinney is there and why he believes, it’s an awesome place.”

Offensive line coach Matt Luke has done a really good job of recruiting and is becoming regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in the country.

While it’s great that the Tigers are in the Top 5 for Merrill, they have some stiff competition. The Alabama Crimson Tide, Wisconsin Badgers, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish are all in the mix for him.

Clemson might have not had the recruiting class that they would have liked in 2025, but the 2026 class is beginning to shape up and there are still a lot of interested players that they are in the mix.

For the Tigers, getting Merrill to commit would be huge as a Top-100 player in the country.