Clemson’s 2027 recruiting class is still sitting in a strong spot, but the Tigers took a hit at linebacker on Saturday when one of their top targets went elsewhere.
Four-star linebacker Roman Igwebuike committed to Notre Dame, making his decision on the CBS Sports College Football YouTube channel. The Chicago native picked the Fighting Irish over Clemson, Missouri, Tennessee and Indiana, among others.
That had been a real battle for Clemson, especially after the Tigers hosted Igwebuike on an official visit during their highly anticipated recruiting weekend in the final week of May. He was the second school to get him on campus from that final group, but after later trips to Missouri and Notre Dame, the momentum shifted in the other direction for Dabo Swinney’s program.
For a player from Illinois, Notre Dame always had a strong case, and Marcus Freeman’s staff ultimately won out.
Igwebuike is ranked No. 134 overall in the 2027 class by Rivals’ Industry ranking. He’s also considered a top-10 linebacker and the No. 7 player in Illinois. Had he chosen Clemson, he would have landed as one of the Tigers’ top three commitments in the class.
Still, Clemson didn’t leave Saturday empty-handed.
An hour before Igwebuike’s announcement, the Tigers landed defensive lineman Seth Tillman, the No. 133 player in the class. The Rock Hill, South Carolina, native chose Clemson over South Carolina, Georgia and Michigan, giving the Tigers another major in-state win and continuing their strong run with Southeast prospects.
Swinney now has 25 commitments in the class, including three linebackers who all rank inside the top 60. That group starts with four-star Bryce Kish, who has been committed since March, followed by Max Brown, Clemson’s longest-tenured pledge and the brother of current linebacker Sammy Brown.
R.J. Hudson joined the class almost a month ago to round out the trio.
Even with the miss on Igwebuike, Clemson’s class remains among the nation’s best and sits inside the top 15 in many recruiting databases after a strong finish to May and start to June. The linebacker room may have taken a sting, but there’s still plenty of confidence around what the Tigers have built there.
Clemson Tigers on SI will remain updated with all of the remaining recruits for the 2027 class as the period slows down throughout the dog days of summer.
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