Pair of Clemson Tigers Selected as Potential Impact Freshmen by CBS Sports

Chris Hummer of CBS Sports released his list of college football freshmen poised to make an impact in 2025 on Friday, and a pair of Clemson Tigers are on the list: RB Gideon Davidson and DT Amare Adams.

The reasoning for Davidson seems clear. Outside of the freshman, there isn’t nearly as much experience or talent in the Clemson Tiger running back room as Dabo and company are used to. In fact, Hummer states as much.

“No blue-chip running back from the 2025 class enters a better situation for early playing time than Davidson. Behind just 295 yards in 2024, Jay Haynes was set to return as the Tigers' leading rusher, but he tore his ACL in December. Everyone else in the room has even less experience or -- in the case of Adam Randall -- is new to the position after making the switch from wide receiver. That's what makes Davidson so intriguing,” Hummer wrote on CBS Sports.

So, how can the Tiger faithful be sure that Davidson can be the kind of player the Tigers need next to star quarterback Cade Klubnik? Well, nothing is a guarantee, but the recruiting rankings are a good start. Davidson was ranked the No. 121 player in the nation by 247 sports, as well as the No. 5 RB and No. 3 player in Virginia.

The high school numbers for Davidson were also incredible, with the star back averaging over 10.5 yards per carry in high school. He also has blazing speed, clocking a 10.69 100-meter dash time in high school. According to Hummer, those stats and skills plus a strong spring created a player that Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney loved.

“Clemson coach Dabo Swinney called Davidson a ’natural’ as he pushed his way up the depth chart. It'd be a surprise if Davidson didn't emerge as a high-level contributor in Year 1. Clemson needs him to do so if it hopes to reach its ceiling,” Hummer wrote.

So, even if Randall doesn’t pan out in the backfield, the Tigers should be just fine with Davidson as the bell cow in his freshman season. 

Though the selection of Davidson as an impact freshman probably would make sense to most, what might seem a bit more odd on the surface is Hummer’s selection of Adams considering the perceived strength of the Clemson defensive line.

The talent up front for the Tigers is unquestionably elite, led by Peter Woods and T.J. Parker. However, the depth has been an issue for the Tigers in recent seasons, especially up the middle. Hummer also has his own rationale for the selection, and it has more to do with coach Swinney than other members of the Clemson roster.

“Swinney plays more freshmen than any other blueblood coach. Clemson rarely dips into the portal to backfill its roster, which means first-year players, even during a season in which the Tigers return almost everyone, can see the field early. Adams will be one of those freshmen. Swinney made that determination way back in March: ‘He's going to help us. That's what we've seen,’” Hummer wrote.

That’s not to say Adams isn’t a great talent, though. The defensive tackle was rated the No. 7 prospect in the nation by 247 Sports, the No. 2 DL, and the No. 1 player in South Carolina. Adams was also named 247 Sports’ Senior Alpha Dog of day one practice and On3’s practice day two MVP.

Suppose Adams does indeed find meaningful playing time on the Clemson defensive line, especially alongside a healthy Woods and Parker. In that case, the freshman should be primed to take advantage of some easier matchups and wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines throughout the 2025 season.

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