5-Star Clemson Target Shares Message After Attending LSU Upset

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 11:40 AM ET

The Clemson Tigers started the 2025 season on a sour note, falling to the LSU Tigers 17-10 despite opening the game as 5.5-point favorites, according to ESPN BET.

It marks the program's third straight season-opening loss and drops them four spots in the updated AP Top-25 poll, now sitting at No. 8.

Adding to the sting, several talented recruits were in attendance, including class of 2027 cornerback Joshua Dobson out of Fort Mill, South Carolina.

As a five-star recruit, the No. 1 cornerback, the top player in South Carolina, and the No. 4 player in the nation, per Rivals Industry Rankings, he's emerged as one of Clemson's top priorities.

However, while speaking to Rivals' director of recruiting Chad Simmons following the game, he made it clear his interest in Clemson is still high.

“The culture at Clemson is different,” Dobson said. “I have been there a few times, I know the coaches well, and the way the program is run really stands out to me.”

Even with Clemson's previous early-season struggles, they have continuously put together impressive recruiting classes, earning the nation's No. 23 class in 2025 and the No. 14 group in 2024.

This also isn't the first time Dobson has praised the Tigers, previously telling Rivals' Steve Wiltfong, "The way they do everything and don’t recruit a lot of people. What most people don’t see is you get a very good chance at seeing the field early and competing to win a championship every year.”

Clemson Isn't Alone in the Battle for Joshua Dobson

When a player of this caliber is available, though, a handful of teams will look to make an impression and Clemson is tasked with fighting off several high-level programs.

One being the South Carolina Gamecocks, whom he visited on Sunday during their Week 1 24-11 win over the Virginia Tech Hokies.

“Carolina is definitely on the up,” Dobson told Simmons. “The players love coach Beamer. It’s about how he relates to all his players so well. When you have a coach like that, it makes you want to go all out for him.”

The cornerback also holds offers from schools such as Texas, Tennessee, Florida State, Georgia, Texas A&M, Penn State, Miami and Michigan.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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