The South Carolina-Clemson rivalry is a 365-day-a-year affair for Gamecock and Tiger fans. That's even true on the recruiting trail between the two head coaches Shane Beamer and Dabo Swinney.
Well on Saturday, Swinney got the best of Beamer on the recruiting trail. Four-star defensive lineman Seth Tillman, who was a big in-state target for the Gamecocks committed to Clemson Saturday afternoon:
BREAKING: Four-Star DL Seth Tillman has Committed to Clemson, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 11, 2026
The 6’4 280 DL chose the Tigers over South Carolina, Georgia, and Michigan
He’s ranked as the No. 11 DL in the 2027 Rivals300 🐅https://t.co/6DXDqLjA9D pic.twitter.com/MJ7hHYFVIh
Tillman, from Rock Hill, S.C. and who plays high school football who out of South Pointe is rated by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 13 overall defensive lineman for 2027 and the No. 3 overall prospect out of South Carolina. He took a visit to South Carolina on May 1, as well as visiting Georgia on May 29.
But it appears as though Clemson made a lasting impression on the South Carolina star, as he was on-campus with Coach Swinney and the Tigers on June 12. In fact, in an interview with Rivals, Tillman stated that he grew up rooting for Clemson growing up, which made the decision that much easier.
“Clemson has been a school I’ve loved since I was a kid,” Tillman told Rivals. “I’ve been going there since I was little. I’ve always loved Clemson. The people and the atmosphere have always felt like family.”
The other interesting factoid that will sting for South Carolina fans is Rock Hill is considerably closer to South Carolina's campus than Clemson. Clemson sits roughly 124 miles west of Rock Hill, whereas Columbia is about 68 miles south.
Obviously this miss hurts for a South Carolina team that has beaten Clemson just twice in the last 11 meetings. But the good news is that South Carolina's 2027 class has made some headway in recent weeks, landing several blue chips including five-star cornerback Joshua Dobson.
But at defensive line, the Gamecocks' 2027 recruiting class is pretty thin. South Carolina has just one commit at the position in four-star John Archer, so this is still a position of need for the Gamecocks.
We'll see if Beamer can pull off a flip of the new Clemson commit over the next few months, or if South Carolina sets its sights on other targets at defensive line. Losing to your biggest in-state rival is never fun, not even on the recruiting trail.
ALSO READ: South Carolina's 2026 season puts Shane Beamer in a pressure cooker, per ESPN FPI
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