Anquon Fegans, a four-star recruit who had Clemson among his final four choices, announced on Monday that he is committing to Auburn for college football.
Fegans’ commitment is non-binding, meaning he won’t be able to officially sign with Auburn until December during the early signing period.
In addition to Clemson, Fegans’ final four schools included Georgia and LSU.
According to 247Sports, Fegans is ranked as the No. 98 recruit nationally in the Class of 2025, and he is even higher at No. 44 in the composite rankings. The safety from Thompson, Alabama, is gearing up for his senior year of high school. He visited Clemson in late May as part of his final preparations before making his decision.
While this is a setback for Clemson, their recruiting class remains strong, ranked No. 12 by 247Sports with 11 four-star players out of 15 commitments.
Auburn now boasts a class of 20 recruits, ranked No. 7. The teams ahead of Auburn are No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Georgia, No. 4 LSU, No. 5 Tennessee, and No. 6 Notre Dame.
Clemson was one of four FBS schools that did not secure a transfer during the 2024 cycle. Although Clemson coach Dabo Swinney targeted four offensive linemen during the winter period, he did not succeed in bringing any on board. Moreover, Clemson has struggled recently in the 2025 recruiting cycle, missing out on several high-profile high school recruits who had listed them as a finalist, including wide receiver Cortez Mills, offensive lineman Hardy Watts, and cornerback Gregory Xavier Thomas.
On a positive note, Clemson did sign four-star edge rusher Bryce Davis on Saturday, ending a brief recruiting dry spell. However, their efforts to recruit several five-star prospects, including defensive lineman Elijah Griffin and offensive linemen Davis Sanders Jr. and Josh Petty, have also faced challenges, according to 247Sports.
Swinney, addressing local media on Tuesday, expressed confidence in his future recruiting efforts despite criticism over the lack of transfers in the NIL era. “Just because a player doesn’t come to Clemson doesn’t always mean it’s about NIL,” Swinney said. “Sometimes it is, but not always. There are other great programs, coaches, and fits out there.”
Regarding recruiting, Swinney added, “If NIL is a deciding factor, we may not land that player. It’s as simple as that. If NIL is a factor, we have as good a chance as anyone.”
