2025 offensive lineman Mal Waldrep is heavily known for being a legacy recruit for Clemson, with his grandfather playing for Tigers legend Frank Howard in the 1960s. While it’s a large part of his recruiting, there’s things that stand out about Tiger Town on a personal level for Waldrep.

Waldrep is very familiar with the Clemson program, having performed at the Dabo Swinney Camp for a few years now, where he’s built relationships with the coaches. The longevity of this connection is important to him, and it makes the Tigers very high on his list.

“For me, Clemson is my favorite atmosphere every time I have come on campus,” Waldrep told The Clemson Insider. “They have been treating me well for so long and I’m thankful. That’s why they are definitely in my top few, if not couple schools right now.”

Over the summer, Waldrep saw his stock rise in a blink and a Clemson offer was a part of the rewards he saw come his way with impressive performances at college camps. When asked about it, Waldrep was very humble in his position and wants to thank everyone around him for molding him into who he is today.

“I want to be able to explore my options. I have earned these offers and I want to be able to look at all of them,” Waldrep said. “I don’t want to credit anything to myself, but to my coaches, family and God you know, I’m very thankful to be in the position I am.”

Waldrep says he has plans to come down for a Clemson game in the fall, but he’s not sure which game it will be when he gets back to Death Valley. While he’s waiting, the Tigers’ coaches are continuing their efforts and the family approach head coach Dabo Swinney emphasizes is connecting with Waldrep, which he says stands out in the process.

“The family atmosphere, no question,” Waldrep said. “All I can think about is how special of a place Clemson is and how good they treat every player, and recruit.”