Gideon Davidson has spent plenty of time thinking about his first Clemson touchdown.
Mostly because it still hasn’t happened.
Davidson arrived at Clemson as a highly regarded running back accustomed to finding the end zone. Then came his freshman season: 13 games and 71 offensive touches without a touchdown. He rushed 60 times for 260 yards and caught 11 passes for 93 more.
“It's going to be a big, I guess, relief,” Davidson said of eventually breaking through. “In high school, I never had a season where I didn't score, so it was kind of like not a setback, but just kind of a realization that there is a different reality than high school. I guess once I finally score, it's going to be a fun time.”
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That first trip to the end zone would represent considerably more than six points.
For Davidson, it could become a marker separating the freshman who was trying desperately not to make a mistake from the sophomore Clemson is now asking to help carry its backfield.
And his first chance of 2026 will come under the lights in Baton Rouge.
Clemson opens its season Sept. 5 at LSU with a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC, beginning in one of the most imposing road environments in college football.
Davidson sounds ready for it.
“I would just say slowing down the entire play, really just slowing down the sport, the game,” Davidson said when asked where he needed to improve from his freshman year. “I feel like I was trying to get everything right and not make a mistake instead of focusing on the things I need to do. I feel like the game has definitely slowed down. I just have the ability to play free.”
Davidson didn't receive anything resembling a starter's workload in 2025.
Adam Randall dominated Clemson's backfield touches, carrying 168 times for 814 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also caught 11 passes for 93 yards.
Now Randall is gone, and Davidson is no longer simply the talented freshman waiting behind an established veteran. He's a 6-foot, 200-pound sophomore with a substantially different opportunity in front of him.
Davidson said his biggest lesson from last season can be summarized in one word.
Patience.
“Really, not everything comes when you want it,” Davidson said. “I just had to kind of sit back and trust the process. This year, it's paid off. I finally get my chance, my opportunity.”
Davidson wasn't merely waiting behind Randall last season. He was studying him.
And the lesson that stuck wasn't about running through contact or making a cut. It was preparation.
“I would say the biggest thing I took away from Adam's leadership was his ability to watch film,” Davidson said. “Watching film is obviously a very important thing, and that is my biggest goal or challenge this year...to watch more film, and I believe that Adam gave me a good vision for that.”
That preparation connects directly to Davidson's assertion that the game has slowed down.
“Coming from high school, the college just transitions a lot harder, but now that I've had a year under my belt, I feel like it's a lot easier,” Davidson said.
Clemson doesn't need Davidson to do it alone
Davidson may have waited for his opportunity, but Clemson's backfield isn't a one-man operation.
Chris Johnson Jr., Jay Haynes, Jarvis Green and David Eziomume give Clemson options alongside Davidson.
Johnson, in particular, brings a different dimension.
“A whole lot of speed for sure,” Davidson said. “He's also very smart. The whole running back room has been helping each other out. He's getting this stuff down as easy as anybody else. I've just seen a lot of leadership and a lot of fight.”
Asked about running backs coach C.J. Spiller's quoted 4.24 speed for Johnson and whether he actually looks that fast, Davidson didn't hesitate.
“For sure,” Davidson said. “Yeah, I mean, even watching film, it's like a wow. He's got really fast feet, and he just hits the hole and takes off. It's kind of impressive.”
Davidson doesn't sound threatened by sharing carries.
“It's very encouraging just to know that you've got somebody behind you or in front of you being able to do their job,” Davidson said. “It gives you an opportunity to catch your breath sometimes, but it's encouraging to know that you've got that support behind you or in front of you.”
Competition appears genuine, too. Davidson said Clemson's backs are rotating through first- and second-team opportunities during camp.
“During camp, we're all getting the same amount of reps,” Davidson said. “We're all getting first-team reps, all getting second-team reps, and I think that's just going to help us in the long run.”
Davidson waited through a freshman season behind Clemson's featured back. He didn't score and didn't get the workload he had been accustomed to before college.
Instead, he learned patience. He studied how Randall prepared. And, perhaps most importantly, the game slowed down.
Now, Gideon Davidson finally has his chance.
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