2025 4-star RB Gideon Davidson commits to Clemson: Do the Tigers eye the talented back as Will Shipley's replacement?

Gideon Davidson became the first prospect from the 2025 recruiting class to commit to joining the Clemson Tigers. Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports announced Davidson's decision on Wednesday, tweeting:

"BREAKING: Four-Star RB Gideon Davidson (2025) has Committed to Clemson! The 6’0 190 RB from Lynchburg, VA chose the Tigers over Ohio State, Notre Dame, & others. He ranks as a Top 70 Player in the ‘25 Class 🐅"

The four-star running back prospect confirmed the news himself, captioning the post:

"Thank you Clemson for believing in me. #2025class"

Check out the tweets below:

What led to Gideon Davidson's commitment to the Clemson Tigers?

Davidson committed to joining the Clemson Tigers a full two years before he will be eligible to play college football. The four-star prospect discussed his decision with Brian Dohn of 247 Sports, stating:

"I love the culture at Clemson. Genuine family feeling. A sense that they care about me beyond my football ability. Emphasize academics. I really think I'm going to like the PAW program. Players and/or coaches not getting in trouble or having incidents off the field. They want to win. They expect to win, and they win a lot. I like that."

Davidson added a pitch to fellow 2025 class recruits:

"Why wait? Go 'All In' as soon as possible. Then we can build a great 2025 class to support the '22, '23, '24 classes. Let's do our part in bringing a [national championship] back to Tigertown."

Is Gideon Davidson Will Shipley's replacement?

Clemson Tigers running back Will Shipley joined the program as a five-star prospect from the 2021 recruiting class. In 24 games across two seasons, he has run for 1,921 yards and 26 touchdowns, catching 54 passes for 358 yards, and returned 27 kicks for 704 yards. Furthermore, Shipley was named a first-team All-American in 2022.

Four-star prospect Gideon Davidson, who is the third-ranked running back in the 2025 recruiting class, will be the highest-rated running back to join the Tigers since Shipley.

While Davidson could very well be the next big back at Clemson, he is not being targeted to replace Shipley as of now.

The Tigers running back will be eligible for the 2024 NFL draft, where he is projected to be selected as high as the first round. Even if Davidson does not redshirt his true freshman season, Clemson will need a running back in 2024.

Whether that is just a stopgap or another player emerges, remains to be seen.