Clemson football is officially on fire as they blaze the summer recruiting trail.
The Tigers picked up four commitments within a few hours of one another on Monday, solidifying the momentum that Dabo Swinney and his staff have been building in recent weeks.
Desmond Malpress, a 4-star edge rusher from Jacksonville, FL (Atlantic Coast High School) was the first to commit. The consensus four star chose Clemson football over South Carolina, Florida State, Syracuse, and George Tech. Athletic and standing at 6-3, 205 pounds, Malpress is rated as the 125th overall prospect in the 2027 class and the 16th best defensive end. The Tigers offered in February and Desmond was on hand for the annual Elite Retreat.
Second to commit was Luke Starcevic from Kindred, ND (Kindred High School). A consensus 4-star offensive lineman, Starcevic is listed at 6-5 250 pounds and chose Clemson Football over Notre Dame and Kansas State. He is rated as the number two overall prospect from North Dakota. He was on Clemson’s campus for the busy official visit weekend and shut down his recruitment while in town and after visiting with offensive coach Matt Luke.
“After lots of thought, prayer, and conversations with my family, I’m blessed and excited to announce my commitment to Clemson University,” stated Starcevic in a post on X. “Thank you to everyone who has helped and supported me along the way, and I look forward to the years ahead!”
Luke Starcevic
The Tigers, though, were far from finished on Monday. 3-star tight end Nick Pollack from Bogart, GA (North Oconee High School) committed to Clemson football next, choosing the Tigers over Wake Forest and Cincinnati among other finalists. Pollack is high school teammates with fellow Clemson commit Harrison Luke.
The son of former George standout David Pollack, Nick is the second tight end in the 2027 class to make his pledge to the Tigers, joining fellow Peach State standout Carter Blackwell.
Finally, the fourth prospect to make his pledge to the Tigers was 4-star offensive lineman JJ Brown from Lilburn, GA (Parkview High School). Standing a monstrous 6-6 and 305 pounds, Brown is an imposing presence. He picked Clemson over George, Florida State, and Auburn.
Brown was intending to make a commitment on June 23, but decided to shut down his recruitment after his only official visit, to Clemson, and he cited the Tigers’ culture and his growing relationship with Coach Swinney and Coach Luke as the reason he decided to commit now.
“The reasons why I committed to Clemson, number one, is the culture,” explained Brown. “The culture is different up there because Coach Swinney really cares about his players long after their playing days. It doesn’t matter if they were a starter or if they were a walk-on. He’s still going to treat you the same. He’s still going to care for you the same. And not a lot of places get that.”
JJ Brown
JJ added, “The second thing is probably the development by Coach Luke. He has the most NFL draft picks out of any other active coach right now. Coach Luke just had Blake Miller go in the first round, and just had Monroe Freeling (Georgia) go in the first round. He said I can be one of the next first rounders to come out of Clemson. I want to learn the game more than I already do, and I just feel like he can take me to the next level, just his expertise and just his background.”
Clemson Football Recruiting HEATER | Commitments Flooding In | What It Means?
With its four commitments on Monday, Clemson football is up to 19 commits for the 2027 class as it begins to take shape as one of the best in the country, perhaps signifying a resurgence within the program. It is a good sign for Coach Swinney, his staff, and the Clemson fan base who have been waiting patiently for good news from the recruiting trail.
