'Strong NIL Offers' Have Clemson Nearing Trouble with Highly Touted Recruit

'Strong NIL Offers' Have Clemson Nearing Trouble with Highly Touted Recruit originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Clemson Tigers have done considerably well with the 2026 recruiting class, already landing a total of 21 players as their group ranks No. 2 in the ACC and No. 12 in the nation.

However, in this day and age of college football, a simple commitment is never enough, which is something head coach Dabo Swinney could be dealing with when it comes to cornerback Shavar Young, who pledged himself to the program on Aug. 2, 2024.

Clemson may soon be fighting for him to stay as Rivals' Sam Spiegelman reports that several teams, including SMU, Michigan, Tennessee, Georgia, Oregon and Notre Dame, are all making a push to get him to flip, with three sitting front and center.

"In particular, the Mustangs, Ducks and Irish are making strong runs at Young with their spatulas in hand as his senior season of high school comes into focus," Spiegelman wrote.

A potential flip could be more than Young simply finding a better fit, as the report also states, "All three contenders swinging away have made strong NIL offers to Young that have him mulling options outside of Clemson."

There's no doubt a loss like this would sting for the Tigers, as Rivals Industry Rankings place Young as a three-star recruit, the No. 46 cornerback, the No. 15 player in Tennessee and the No. 496 player in the nation.

What would make an outcome like that even worse for Clemson is that he is just one of two cornerbacks that Swinney has landed in the 2026 class, which also features three-star Marcell Gipson.

A replacement could be hard to find as well, because only two top-50 cornerbacks, four-star Davon Benjamin (No. 6) and three-star Henry Perrymond (No. 47), remain uncommitted at this point in the offseason.

Related: Nation's No. 1 RB Sets Massive Recruiting Battle Between Four College Football Powerhouses

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 25, 2025, where it first appeared.