Three-Star Edge Rusher Includes Clemson Among Final Four

After an eye-opening experience at Clemson's Elite Retreat, the Tigers have stood firm as the No. 1 option for a three-star edge rusher.

Three-star edge rusher Kalib Spivey has trimmed his list down to just four schools, including Clemson alongside Georgia Tech, Maryland and Duke. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The recruiting scene is starting to reach its boiling point, and the Clemson Tigers have been making strides for a multitude of prospects recently, including an Alabama edge rusher.

On Monday afternoon, defensive end Kalib Spivey trimmed his list of schools down to four, with Clemson, Georgia Tech, Duke and Maryland making the cut. He doesn’t have an official commitment date set yet, but he will likely decide before the start of his senior year, as most do.

Spivey is rated a three-star prospect and ranks as the No. 493 overall player, the No. 48 player at his position and the No. 30 player in the state of Alabama, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.

The Tigers and Spivey have been in contact for nearly a year now, as he first visited for the annual Dabo Swinney Football Camp in June 2024 and spoke with Clemson Tigers on SI two years ago about his first impression and highlights of the camp.

“I enjoyed the camp very much," he said. "It gave me a chance to learn and get better as a football player and person. I would say the highlight of the camp was when Coach (Nick) Eason taught me some pass rush technique one on one.”

However, it would be a while before he returned to campus, not making it back until Swinney's camp the following summer and, eventually, the program's annual Elite Retreat, where he finally earned his offer.

Regarding the competitors in the race for Spivey, the Terrapins were the earliest to extend an offer to the three-star, coming in October 2024. Georgia Tech followed suit in February 2025, and Duke swooped in to extend an offer in November 2025.

As it stands, the Tigers are the clear-cut favorite to land Spivey, as he said the program was ‘at the top of his list’ in late March following an eye-opening visit to the Elite Retreat. He has official visits locked in with all four schools: Duke (May 29-31), Georgia Tech (June 5-7) Clemson (June 12-14) and Maryland (June 19-21).

If Clemson walks away without Spivey, though, there are still multiple other edge rushers on the board for the program. Top remaining target Cahron Wheeler has the Tigers in his top six, four-star’s Santana Harvey and Desmond Malpress remain in the mix, as well as Elijah Cox, Jiquan Rogers and Andrew Rogers.

Wheeler, Harvey, Cox and Jiquan Rogers all have official visits lined up with the program for May 29-31, while Malpress and Andrew Rogers are scheduled to visit alongside Spivey the weekend of June 12.