There’s some deja vu going on in Clemson.

After suffering seven total decommitments in the last recruiting cycle, with six coming over the final few months, the Tigers have now suffered three in the 2026 class. Each one has been a fairly big hit.

“I got no thoughts,” head coach Dabo Swinney said after Wednesday’s practice. “Onward we go.”

With four-star DT Keshawn Stancil flipping to Miami on Wednesday, Clemson loses not only one of its highest-rated recruits but also its top defensive tackle. One of just two interior linemen who were committed.

The news comes just two days after three-star safety Blake Stewart opened his recruitment back up, with it being revealed that he’d already taken visits to Miami and Vanderbilt, two schools that were in his original list of finalists. Four-star DE Dre Quinn decommitted back in September.

Again, Stancil’s defection leaves the Tigers with just one defensive tackle currently committed. With DeMonte Capehart definitely gone after this season and Peter Woods quite likely to enter the draft, that leaves the staff short on numbers. It potentially creates one more portal need in the offseason, depending on whether the Tigers add another player at the position before the end of the cycle.

More importantly, Clemson once again misses out on a player with an extremely high ceiling. While he still needs a little polishing, Stancil has the potential to be a wrecking ball on the interior. He’s also got some experience lining up on the outside, which gives you an idea of his versatility. He has 4 sacks and 15 tackles for loss through nine games this season, while averaging more than six stops per game.

Stewart has taken hits in some of the latest updates to the rankings, but he remains a significant loss. There is a reason he has close to 45 offers. Safety is a huge position of need, and while there are still two players at the position committed, Stewart was a fit for the nickel, a spot that has been a weak link in 2025.

Last week, when Tom Allen was describing the types of players he covets on his defense, he was referring to players who have the same traits as Stewart.

Then there is Quinn. His defection left Clemson with just one defensive end committed. Three-star JR Hardrick is now the lone player at the position. While he may end up growing into a solid player, he’s a developmental guy.

With the way the season has played out, it’s probably safe to assume that there will likely be more decommitments. Many like to point to money as the reason for most decommitments, and make no mistake, many times it heavily factors in, but it has not been the sole reason for all three of these.

This was the year that Clemson was supposed to have a team capable of making a deep run. Instead, what we’ve seen is a program that is currently mired in mediocrity. A program that just doesn’t carry that cache on the recruiting trail anymore.

The kind of season Clemson is experiencing often leads to significant changes in the offseason, and recruits tend to steer away from heading off to a school unsure of what to expect or who their position coach might be.

Clemson has already been the victim of three departures. The question becomes who is next, and will it end up being as bad as last year? With five more weeks before the early signing period, best buckle up, because it’s bound to be a bumpy ride.