After a successful official visit this past weekend, the ball continues to roll as DE JR Hardrick announced his commitment to Clemson and Dabo Swinney.
“They take [academics] very serious, and they will get on to you more about that than football. They are worried about what you’re going to do after football. They care about what you are going to do in the world and how you carry yourself.”
JR Hardrick
The 6-foot-6 edge rusher is the third commitment of the week, following behind 2027 Max Brown and 2026 Leo Delaney.
The move wasn’t all too surprising for Tiger fanatics, as the lanky defensive lineman received crystal-ball predictions from two different Clemson Insiders, per 247Sports.
Hardrick chose the Tigers over Louisville and Georgia Tech, for which he had official visits planned after Clemson before his commitment to the program.
Hardrick is a recent three-star prospect after showing out at multiple camps over the past couple months, which is how he originally got heavier looks from Power-4 schools such as Georgia Tech, Louisville, Kentucky, Wake Forest and Virginia.
He ranks as the No. 844 prospect, the No. 75 edge rusher and the No. 26 player in Tennessee, per 247Sports Composite.
There aren’t many statistics on Hardrick aside from his 49 tackles, 18.5 for a loss and 10.5 sacks accounted for through his first two years at South Pittsburg High School, per MaxPreps.
However, we do know he led his school to a State Championship in the 2024-2025 season, earning him All-Region and All-State honors at his respective position.
Hardrick uses his length to beat guys on both sides of the ball — playing tight end as well — especially when it comes to shedding blocks in the trenches. His size and speed immediately make him a problem, he’ll just need to put on a bit more weight and perfect his technique to become dominant in finesse and power rushing.
