Clemson signee and midyear enrollee Amare Adams (6-4, 300) received some good news Tuesday morning.
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The Florence - South Florence product was awarded a five-star billing from Rivals.com after holding steady at four stars for virtually all of his recruitment.
Adams, who Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney called the best defensive tackle prospect in the country last month, was elevated to five stars by Rivals.com's national analyst team following his performance during the Navy All-American Bowl and of course daily workouts in the lead-up to the annual all-star game.
Said Rivals.com national recruiting director Adam Gorney: "When you look at Amare Adams in person at 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, the Clemson signee looks like an unstoppable force up the middle with little bad weight and a projection to be one of the next best interior guys for the Tigers. He certainly has that potential as Clemson has developed many of these players over the years and pumped them into the NFL. Ten former Clemson defensive linemen are currently on NFL rosters and Adams could be next."
Adams entered 2025 just outside of the Rivals100, but ranked first overall regardless of position in the state of South Carolina. He was one of just three Palmetto State prospects to sign with the Tigers last month, joining four-star athlete Marquise Henderson of Belton-Honea Path and three-star defensive back Jakarrion Kenan of Bennettsville - Marlboro County.
Adams was one of the first prospects to jump in the boat with the Tigers, committing in the first week of December of 2023 after mulling offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, Florida State, Auburn, LSU, Tennessee and a host of others.
Added Gorney: "He was not dominant at all times during the Navy All-American Bowl week, but when Adams was good, he was great and could not be stopped by interior offensive linemen during practice.
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"Adams has the power, speed, strength and no doubt size to be one of the best defensive tackles in college football for years to come."
Rivals.com now ranks Adams 31st overall regardless of position and sixth nationally among defensive tackle prospects.
Clemson signed one additional player at the position in Atlanta (Ga.) Lakeside tackle and former N.C. State commit Makhi Williams-Lee. Williams-Lee carries a 5.6 rating or a mid-level three-star rating from Rivals.com.
With Tuesday's bump in the rankings, Adams now represents the headliner in Clemson's 2025 signing class, a spot previously held by Rivals100 running back Gideon Davidson of Lynchburg, Va.
