CLEMSON — Of all the true freshmen on the Clemson football team, the expectations might be highest for Gideon Davidson.

With very little production returning at the running back position, and Davidson being one of the highest-rated backs in the last recruiting class, many are expecting an immediate impact from the true freshman.

With Davidson choosing to wear No. 9, and his ceiling being so high, some are already attempting to compare him to former Clemson great Travis Etienne, who also wore No. 9 during his record-setting career.

“He doesn’t get caught up in all that stuff,” running backs coach CJ Spiller said during Clemson’s annual media outing. “He just puts his head down and goes to work. He understands the number doesn’t make the person, the person makes the number.”

Where Davidson ends up in the pecking order is yet to be determined. The one thing we do know heading into camp is that converted wide receiver Adam Randall sits atop the depth chart.

Redshirt sophomore Jarvis Green and redshirt freshman David Eziomume are two of the other backs that will be competing for snaps. Redshirt junior Keith Adams Jr is also a part of the room, and redshirt sophomore Jay Haynes will be back once fully recovered from his ACL injury suffered last December.

How much and how quickly Davidson factors into the equation largely rides on how well he performs in camp.

“He had a great spring and I know he had an awesome summer,” Spiller said. “If he’s prepared mentally — because physically, I don’t know if y’all have gotten to see him, but physically he looks awesome and ready to go play. But there’s more than being physically ready. You got to be mentally ready.”

Davidson more than proved his worth at the high school level, helping lead his team to a state title in each of his final two seasons. In 2023, he earned MaxPreps National Junior of the Year honors. As a senior, he was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Virginia after rushing for 2,341 yards with 37 touchdowns. He averaged more than 167 rushing yards per contest and more than nine yards per carry.

Now, fans are excited to see Davidson bring some of the production to the field for the Tigers. With LSU visiting Death Valley on August 30 to kick off the season, the hope is that he will be ready to contribute immediately.

“If he does the things he needs to do, then he will have the opportunity to play,” Spiller said. “That is the beauty of Gideon. He understands that what he’s done in high school… that was high school. He will be the first to tell you he hasn’t done anything yet. When you get to college, the older guys anyway, they don’t care nothing about that. They just want to know, are you that guy.”

“This will be his first time going through a fall camp, so we will see how this camp goes. I am excited for him, but if he can help us, we’re obviously not going to leave him back there in the chute. If he can help us, we are definitely going to use him.”

At the same time, there are no guarantees. Davidson still has to go out and earn those early opportunities with a solid fall camp.

“If he is ready mentally, then yes,” Spiller said. “I am not fixing to sit here and say, yes, game one, he will be ready. I don’t know. I got to see how fall camp goes, see where he’s at, how much he can retain, all that stuff.”