Dabo Swinney, Clemson Land 4-Star Edge Rusher

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers are continuing to add to their 2027 recruiting class as they have landed four-star edge rusher Desmond Malpress. 

Malpress had offers from South Carolina, Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Syracuse, but ultimately decided on Clemson.

"They checked every box I had looking for a program, and the way everything is ran — this is the place I wanted to be and I listened to my heart. This is it," Malpress told 247 Sports.

Malpress is a talented edge rusher and adds to Clemson's 2027 class. He is the 15th-ranked player in Florida and is coming off a great season.

In his junior year, Malpress finished with 15 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.

Swinney and the Tigers have done a phenomenal job in recruiting their 2027 class. They have added a ton of talent, which was needed after a disappointing 2025 season, where they finished with a 7-6 record.

Clemson had entered the year expected to have another quality season and make it back to the College Football Playoff and win the ACC, but they weren't anywhere close to accomplishing that.

Landing players like Malpress will help Clemson bounce back to being one of the top programs in the country. 

The Tigers have a proven track record of developing players on the defensive line. The Buffalo Bills just selected edge rusher T.J. Parker with the 35th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

In his freshman season in 2023, Parker finished with 32 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery. In his sophomore season, Parker had a breakout campaign, as he had 57 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, six forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.

In 2025, Parker had a solid season, finishing with 37 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, and three fumble recoveries.

Clemson also had interior defensive lineman Peter Woods selected with the 29th overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Swinney and the Tigers should be excited to land a player like Malpress, as he could be the next star pass rusher. 

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