SPARTANBURG, S.C. — For all intents and purposes, Kentavion Anderson’s recruitment has been over for quite some time.

While the four-star in-state safety out of Dorman just announced a commitment to Clemson on Friday, Anderson has long known he’d be a Tiger. He actually informed the coaching staff of his decision about three months ago.

“I told them I am coming,” Anderson told The Clemson Insider. “That in three months, y’all going to see me.”

Not only did Anderson grow up rooting for Clemson, but he’s also an avid believer in how Dabo Swinney runs his program, and insists the results speak for themselves. In fact, the blue-chip talent doesn’t have to look very far for those results, seeing how a number of Dorman players who chose the Tigers coming out of high school went on to play in the NFL.

“That was always my dream school,” Anderson said. “They are giving me the opportunity to become a Tiger.”

“Just coach Swinney. He knows what he is talking about. He really develops players. Charone Peake, Adam Humphries, Brandon Thomas, all those guys. They went to Clemson and went to the NFL.”

With Peake now being an assistant at Dorman, Anderson found the former Clemson wideout to be a valuable tool in the recruiting process.

“I asked him about his experience at Clemson,” Anderson added. “He said it was one of the best.”

The Tigers did not offer Anderson until December. However, he’s made multiple visits to campus in the past year, including an unofficial visit in January shortly after the hiring of new defensive coordinator Tom Allen. He then returned for the Elite Retreat in March. That was the only spring visit Anderson took.

Now that his decision is finally out in the open, Anderson feels a sense of relief, and he can go into his senior season without all the added pressure that the recruiting process tends to bring.

“It felt good to get all of this relief off of me,” Anderson said. “I have been wanting to tell people I was a Tiger three months ago, but I had to hold it in.”

Landing Anderson is a big recruiting win for Clemson, especially seeing as he is an in-state recruit that rival South Carolina was heavily pursuing. It’s also another big recruiting win for safeties coach Mickey Conn, who has now landed two highly-rated players at the safety position in the 2026 recruiting class.

While he may be ending his recruitment without taking any official visits, Anderson is adamant that he is shutting it down, and he’s got a message for any coaches that want to continue recruiting him.

“It feels good,” Anderson said. “I hope no other coaches text me from no other school because I just want to be a Tiger.”