TAKE ADVANTAGE → Get THREE Months of CST+ for just $1.00
With the 2025 season inching closer, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney took the podium Wednesday afternoon after practice to share his impressions of fall camp, singling out a mix of young talent and veteran presence. But of all the standouts so far, one name rose to the top: redshirt junior defensive end Jahiem Lawson.
"He's probably one of the most pleasing guys in camp," Swinney said of Lawson, the younger brother of former Clemson All-American and NFL defensive end Shaq Lawson. “Since the day he got here has always lacked something. When he got here, he was 210 pounds. He lacked size. Then he lacked experience and, honestly, he lacked a little bit of maturity, too. And now? He really don't lack anything."
Now listed at 6’2, 261 pounds, Lawson has undergone a physical transformation and, according to Swinney, has paired it with the kind of growth coaches dream of from upperclassmen.
"He's always been a strong-handed kid — I think it's just something in the Lawson DNA because Shaq was the same way," Swinney said. "Now he's got the power behind it. He is a long-armed kid that can really create havoc, and he's always had a great motor. That’s one of the main reasons we signed him."
Swinney added, "This is the most complete he's been since he came to Clemson. You know what? That’s the way it should be. He's a redshirt junior. It's time for him to be the best version of himself — and he has been."
Last season, Lawson had 24 tackles (3.5 tackles for loss), three PBUs, one sack, and one fumble recovery in 14 games (4 starts) and should have a bigger impact this year, even coming off the bench.
While Lawson has been the biggest revelation, Swinney didn’t hold back in highlighting several other Tigers that have impressed throughout fall camp, particularly among the highly-touted freshman class.
Four-star running back Gideon Davidson, one of the gems of Clemson’s 2025 recruiting class, has already turned heads despite his youth.
"He's got work to do. I mean, he's a natural football player," Swinney said. "He's just one of those guys that when he's got the ball in his hands, you go, 'Whoa, okay.' He's just a natural. He's going to be special. He's not a normal freshman."
Davidson isn’t the only freshman making waves. Swinney also praised a group of first-year offensive linemen, including Easton Ware — Davidson’s former high school teammate — Gavin Blanchard, and Brayden Jacobs. With Ware and Jacobs currently sidelined with injuries, the coach reserved praise for Blanchard.
"I'm gonna tell you the kid that nobody talks about is Gavin Blanchard," Swinney said. "He was kind of like a lost guy in his class, but that's a good football player right there. He's a dirtbag. He is a really good football player. He's a smart football player. He’s just one of those guys that plays better than his attributes."
Freshman tight end Logan Brooking and defensive tackle Amare Adams, a former five-star recruit, also earned strong remarks from Swinney.
"Logan Brooking, that dude is special," Swinney said. And on Adams: "We talked about him this spring. He's just one of them guys that shows up. He's a special talent, special motor, special leader. He's smart. He's not normal."
In addition to the younger players, Swinney noted the continued development of redshirt defensive end Darien Mayo, redshirt junior linebacker Kobe McCloud, and redshirt sophomore linebacker Dee Crayton — all of whom have “flashed” during camp.
But in a camp loaded with blue-chip newcomers and returning veterans, it’s Lawson—a Clemson legacy- who has made the most compelling case as Clemson’s breakout star this fall.
"I would put him at the top, as far as, most pleasing guys in camp to this point, Swinney concluded. "I'm really encouraged with him."
