Clemson football took an early College Football Playoffs loss to Texas back in December 2024. The Tigers claimed a huge college football recruiting win over the Longhorns six months later.

The Atlantic Coast Conference champs reeled in four-star edge rusher Dre Quinn Thursday. Hayes Fawcett of On3 revealed Texas was indeed in the final running for the pass rush defender.

“Thank you God! I’m All in,” Quinn told Fawcett after verbally committing to Clemson.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder hails from Buford, Georgia. Texas originally faced the highest probability to land Quinn. The Longhorns earned a 87.7% chance to earn a commitment from Quinn, per On3. Head coach Dabo Swinney and his staff complete a huge recruiting coup, however.

Is Clemson out-recruiting Texas for 2026? 

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) directs his team during the game against the Texas Longhorns in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Swinney and Clemson have out-recruited other powerhouses before. Especially during the Tigers' late 2010s run that featured two national championship wins.

Yet he and his coaching staff claim a rare win over Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns on the trail. “Coach Sark” and Texas won over one ACC recruit during June. Texas nabbed Dylan Berymon on June 7 — who once considered Bill Belichick and North Carolina.

Clemson has earned its share of recruiting victories. The Tigers landed Leo Delaney over Big Ten powers Michigan and Penn State on June 4.

But they also beat two SEC programs for another four-star before the calendar flipped to June. Four-star cornerback Kentavion Anderson added a 6-foot-2 presence to Clemson on May 17. Clemson also grabbed interior offensive lineman Chance Barclay, who turned down Oklahoma, Florida and Georgia.

The CFP team even ranks higher than the ‘Horns for national recruiting class. Clemson sits at No. 6 overall with 19 total verbal pledges. Making the Tigers the highest ranked ACC team in the recruiting rankings. Texas is closing in on cracking the top 20, though. The Longhorns are No. 21 now with 13 commits.