Clemson’s recent recruiting surge sparks backlash, but new commit defends Dabo Swinney’s approach, emphasizing faith and development over money.

In today’s era of college football, the transfer portal is something that teams have to utilize if they want to be successful. The current era requires adaptation, and one head coach that has been accused of the opposite is Dabo Swinney.

Gebhardt, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound defensive back, is ranked No. 215 overall in the 2026 class, the No. 17 safety nationally, and the eighth-best player in Ohio, according to 247Sports Composite Rankings.

The Clemson football team picked up a big commitment from the 2026 recruiting class on Tuesday as four-star safety Kaden Gebhardt announced that he is going to play for the Tigers. It’s still early in the 2026 cycle,