Clemson portal philosophy stands out for first OL 2026 offer

Clemson has made Leo Delaney one of its top priorities in the 2026 class.

Not only was Delaney (Providence Day, Charlotte) the first offensive lineman in his class to accept an offer from the Tigers, but he was also the first offensive lineman in a period.

“It’s pretty special,” Delaney told the Clemson Insider. “I mean, I was told Clemson wouldn’t make offers. If they offer it to you, it’s a totally binding offer. They’re going to recruit you pretty hard. It was really special for me. And I think I was their first offensive prospect that they offered. It was even cooler.

The 4-star prospect is widely considered one of the top 100 players in the country and is one of the best blockers in his class, meaning he is highly sought after by many of the top programs in the country.

Delaney is also a teammate of 5-star offensive lineman David Sanders, one of the top players in the 2025 class and a top Clemson target. Having a teammate who has already gone through the recruiting process proves beneficial.

“David was able to give me a lot of good advice on how to talk to coaches and know different things to look for in a program,” Delaney said. “He likes what he has experienced. It’s great to know someone who has gone through as intense a recruiting process as possible. Knowing him and getting his advice was very helpful.

Delaney was just on campus during Dabo Swinney’s high school camp, although he didn’t work out. Before that, he came for the Elite Junior day in March. That visit included what Delaney called a player panel, something that helped blue-chip talent learn more about why some of the current players on the roster fell in love with Clemson.

“It was really awesome,” Delaney said. “I enjoyed spending more time with the coaches, getting to know their program better and the atmosphere they give off. They made a small panel of players. It’s really fun to get the players’ perspective. Many of them also went through an intense recruitment process. So they tell us how they did it, when they knew, why they chose Clemson and the good things about Clemson, I think that was one of the most useful parts.

Clemson, Tennessee, Alabama, Michigan, NC State and North Carolina are some of the schools the 6-foot-6, 280-pound recruit said he has heard the most about and when Delaney compares Swinney’s program to the rest, he there is one. something that really stands out.

“The way they use the transfer portal today is one of the things that stands out the most,” Delaney said. “They focus on high school prospects and coach them to play for them. They won’t take some random massive dude in the gate to take your place. They’re going to care about you, your development, how they prepare you and get you to the next level.

Delaney is in no rush to make a decision, although he is aiming for sometime before the start of his senior season next fall. For now, he will continue to follow the process while looking for the best solution.

“I would really like to have a school that has a family feeling and takes care of the players,” Delaney said. “More than just a place dedicated to college football. Where they actually take care of the players. Make them great players and great men. NIL plays a big role in college football these days, so it might play a role there, but not a huge role. I would love a school that doesn’t rely heavily on the transfer portal. Coach the kids they recruit. It really says more about these kids. Those are kind of my three things right now.

Photo courtesy of Leo Delaney on X (formerly known as Twitter)

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