Clemson running back Keith Adams Jr. (19) is stopped on 4th and goal late in the fourth quarter of the game against the Texas Longhorns in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns Miss Out on Four-Star Prospect to Clemson Tigers

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Payton Blalock | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 5:11 PM ET

The Texas Longhorns’ most recent on field encounter with the Clemson Tigers took place during the first round of last season’s College Football Playoff, and the Longhorns claimed a 38-24 victory.

However, the two teams have faced one another in numerous recruiting battles since then, and Texas hasn't claimed as decisive of a victory as they did back in December.

Most recently, the two programs engaged in a head to head matchup for four-star edge rusher Dre Quinn, who committed to Clemson on June 19, according to On3's Hayes Fawcett.

This news comes less than one week after his official visit to Texas, and it marks a definite loss for the Longhorns in terms of recruiting.

Quinn stands at 6-foot-4, 228 pounds, and he accumulated over 35 collegiate offers throughout his recruitment process. 247Sports ranked the Buford, Georgia, native the No. 26 edge rusher in the class of 2026 and the No. 29 overall player in Georgia.

While he originally had Georgia Tech, Georgia, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Texas and Clemson as finalists, he announced on social media on Tuesday that Clemson and Texas were the two programs remaining in the running.

The Tigers and the Longhorns are both anticipated to perform strongly throughout the season ahead, and they hold the No. 2 and No. 3 positions on ESPN’s 2025 post-spring Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings, respectively.

Clemson enters the year with senior QB Cade Klubnik at the helm, and many predict that his experience and leadership abilities will propel the team towards success this upcoming season. The Longhorns are set to start redshirt sophomore Arch Manning, and the expectation is that their defense will also be a dominant force.

Quinn still has his senior year of high school ahead of him, and he won’t be suiting up for either of these teams this upcoming season. However, each of his top two programs have solid chances of winning the national title this year and looking to defend it in 2026 when he arrives.

It will be interesting to watch his continued development at Clemson, where he will look to establish himself, grow in his game and help claim a national championship.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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