Clemson Signs an Underrated Gem in Shavar Young Jr.

With National Signing Day underway, one underrated but promising prospect has made his commitment to the Clemson Tigers official.

During a ceremony held at the Webb School of Knoxville, three-star athlete Shavar Young Jr. signed his letter of intent to Clemson.

Young Jr. shut down his recruitment back in August, despite being recruited by programs like Georgia, Miami, and Texas A&M.

Young Jr. told Clemson on SI that being a Tiger will offer him an opportunity to grow as both a football player and a young man.

“The atmosphere is great. It feels like home every time I come down there. They also have a great track record with DBs, a tradition of getting guys to the NFL,” Young Jr. said. “I feel like that's somewhere I can go win championships and improve both on and off the field.”

The Tennessee native is Clemson’s longest-tenured commit in the 2026 class and the first to shut down his recruitment.

Listed as the 33th best athlete in the country according to 247Sports composite rankings, he makes his presence felt all over the field, shutting down opposing receivers, catching passes downfield, and even taking snaps as a Wildcat quarterback.

This season, he finished with 21 total touchdowns and 2,169 all-purpose yards, rushing for 1,087 yards and totaling 751 receiving yards while also adding 50 tackles, an interception and two forced fumbles.

Young Jr. says that he is best with the ball in his hands and would gladly take the opportunity to play both ways at Clemson despite primarily being viewed as a defensive back.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound prospect is viewed as the 16th-best prospect in the state of Tennessee and the 546th-best overall prospect in the country.

He joins three other wide receivers (Naeem Burroughs, Connor Salmin and Gordon Sellars) and two other defensive backs (Kentavion Anderson and Marcell Gipson)  to help add versatility to Clemson’s 2026 class.

Offensively, he shows shades of former Tigers star slot receiver Amari Rodgers, coincidentally another Knoxville native. Young Jr. is a twitchy and polished route-runner who uses his defensive experience to his advantage. He’s also deadly after the catch, usually making the first defender miss before knifing upfield and getting as many yards as possible.

Defensively, he resembles former Freshman All-American Andrew Mukuba. Young Jr. will likely see most of his action at nickel, where he will be able to combine his nose for the football with his split-second instincts to help Clemson stop the run and pass.

When Clemson on SI asked what it feels like to finally officially become a Tiger, the new signee kept it simple.

“It feels amazing to be joining the Clemson family,” Young Jr. said. “It’s a blessing to be a part of this program.”

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