Dabo Swinney, Clemson lose first 2026 pledge after disappointing start
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Dabo Swinney and his Clemson program have taken it on the chin a ton early in the 2025 season, with a 1-3 start sending the Tigers’ season spiraling before September even ends.
On Thursday night, that losing on the field spread to the recruiting trail for the first time, with 4-star edge rusher Dre Quinn decommitting from Clemson. The stud prospect from Buford, Georgia, told On3 of his decision to decommit from the ACC powerhouse that has suddenly fallen on hard times.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Quinn originally committed to Clemson in June, but that 3-month-old commitment is now gone as the Tigers try to pick up the pieces after another kind of loss. Quinn has 39 total offers, so there’s a plethora of programs that are now back in the mix for his services.
Texas was a significant player in his recruitment before, and the Longhorns would presumably still be interested now that he has opened up his recruitment.
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Quinn is the 395th-ranked player in the Class of 2026. The composite rankings have Quinn as the 35th-ranked edge rusher in the class and the 42nd-ranked player from the state of Georgia.
Quinn’s decommitment leaves Clemson with 20 commits in its 2026 recruiting class. It also means the Tigers only have 1 edge rusher now in the class — Tennessee 3-star product JR Hardrick.
Even without Quinn, Clemson’s 2026 class is still ranked 15th by the composite rankings, but it’s still a huge blow for Dabo Swinney and a program that’s trying to find its way early in the 2025 season.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
