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CLEMSON — Clemson football running back Gideon Davidson loves selfless acts.
For his 20th birthday on May 16, he partnered with Flourish Adoption Ministries in Greenville to raise $10,000 for families and children and matched $5,000 for the cause.
The fundraiser was important for Davidson, who was born in Ghana but was adopted in the United States at 5 years old with his two older brothers in November 2011.
"When you've had a hard journey, you more easily identify the needs of others that are hurting, so your empathy, compassion and caring kind of connects with situations, people or whatever those needs or circumstances are," said Brian Davidson, Gideon Davidson's adoptive father.
The former four-star running back's resolve and patience was tested on the field in his freshman season in 2025. He entered last season as a preseason freshman All-American but was Clemson's No. 2 behind wide receiver-turned-running back Adam Randall.
Last season was uncharted territory for Davidson, who played sparingly, didn't score a touchdown and was on a 7-6 Clemson team that missed the College Football Playoff and ACC championship. He rushed for 260 yards on 60 attempts and caught 11 passes for 93 yards in 13 games
He was one of Clemson three freshmen to play more than four games in 2025 and not redshirt, but Randall dominated snaps over Davidson and other running backs.
It was a change for Davidson, who was a consistent producer and scorer when he grew up playing sports like wrestling, lacrosse, baseball, soccer and football.
"Losing was hard and not being able to contribute to winning was hard," Brian Davidson said. "It wasn't so much about him and him not scoring touchdowns. It's more about him being able to help the team win by scoring touchdowns."
MORE: Clemson football's 2027 recruiting class surges into top-10 rankings after recent haul
Clemson will have a new offense after coach Dabo Swinney hired Chad Morris as offensive coordinator again. Garrett Riley relied on one running back, but Morris said the team will have a committee approach in 2026 instead.
Gideon Davidson's competition will come from SMU transfer Chris Johnson Jr., David Eziomume, Jay Haynes and Jarvis Green.
"Our running back group, it's going to be the best in the country," Gideon Davidson said after Clemson's spring game. "We're definitely got a lot of diversity, got a lot of speed, got a lot of power. We're all good running backs, and we're going to be utilized well."
Swinney said Davidson exited spring practice as Clemson's No. 1 running back. That in addition to Morris having a running back rush for 1,000 yards in three of his four seasons (Andre Ellington, Roderick McDowell) when he was with the Tigers from 2011-14 bodes well for Davidson.
"That gives me a lot of confidence, and I really enjoy that because he's going to run the ball a lot, but he's not going to rely on one guy to do it," Davidson said.
In Davidson's first live in-game action in Morris' system, he rushed for 80 yards on nine carries, breaking out for 21- and 35-yard runs in Clemson's spring game. Those gains came against the team's second- and third-team defense but were a glimpse into what Davidson can bring in 2026.
Davidson's success will also depend on Clemson's offensive line. The Tigers lost four starters, including right tackle Blake Miller. Clemson's projected offensive line starters are Brayden Jacobs (left tackle), Elyjah Thurmon (left guard), Harris Sewell (center), Collin Sadler (right guard) and Easton Ware (right tackle).
Sewell (17 starts in 35 games) and Sadler (15 in 28 games) have starting experience, and Thurmon (two in 11 games) and Jacobs (four in 10 games) have limited playing time but showed flashes to handle starting duties. Ware missed the 2025 season with a shoulder injury.
All except Sewell will be coming off season-ending injuries.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Can Clemson RB Gideon Davidson break out after quiet freshman year?
Continue reading...
For his 20th birthday on May 16, he partnered with Flourish Adoption Ministries in Greenville to raise $10,000 for families and children and matched $5,000 for the cause.
The fundraiser was important for Davidson, who was born in Ghana but was adopted in the United States at 5 years old with his two older brothers in November 2011.
"When you've had a hard journey, you more easily identify the needs of others that are hurting, so your empathy, compassion and caring kind of connects with situations, people or whatever those needs or circumstances are," said Brian Davidson, Gideon Davidson's adoptive father.
The former four-star running back's resolve and patience was tested on the field in his freshman season in 2025. He entered last season as a preseason freshman All-American but was Clemson's No. 2 behind wide receiver-turned-running back Adam Randall.
Last season was uncharted territory for Davidson, who played sparingly, didn't score a touchdown and was on a 7-6 Clemson team that missed the College Football Playoff and ACC championship. He rushed for 260 yards on 60 attempts and caught 11 passes for 93 yards in 13 games
He was one of Clemson three freshmen to play more than four games in 2025 and not redshirt, but Randall dominated snaps over Davidson and other running backs.
It was a change for Davidson, who was a consistent producer and scorer when he grew up playing sports like wrestling, lacrosse, baseball, soccer and football.
"Losing was hard and not being able to contribute to winning was hard," Brian Davidson said. "It wasn't so much about him and him not scoring touchdowns. It's more about him being able to help the team win by scoring touchdowns."
MORE: Clemson football's 2027 recruiting class surges into top-10 rankings after recent haul
Why Clemson RB Gideon Davidson could break out in 2026
Clemson will have a new offense after coach Dabo Swinney hired Chad Morris as offensive coordinator again. Garrett Riley relied on one running back, but Morris said the team will have a committee approach in 2026 instead.
Gideon Davidson's competition will come from SMU transfer Chris Johnson Jr., David Eziomume, Jay Haynes and Jarvis Green.
"Our running back group, it's going to be the best in the country," Gideon Davidson said after Clemson's spring game. "We're definitely got a lot of diversity, got a lot of speed, got a lot of power. We're all good running backs, and we're going to be utilized well."
Swinney said Davidson exited spring practice as Clemson's No. 1 running back. That in addition to Morris having a running back rush for 1,000 yards in three of his four seasons (Andre Ellington, Roderick McDowell) when he was with the Tigers from 2011-14 bodes well for Davidson.
"That gives me a lot of confidence, and I really enjoy that because he's going to run the ball a lot, but he's not going to rely on one guy to do it," Davidson said.
In Davidson's first live in-game action in Morris' system, he rushed for 80 yards on nine carries, breaking out for 21- and 35-yard runs in Clemson's spring game. Those gains came against the team's second- and third-team defense but were a glimpse into what Davidson can bring in 2026.
Davidson's success will also depend on Clemson's offensive line. The Tigers lost four starters, including right tackle Blake Miller. Clemson's projected offensive line starters are Brayden Jacobs (left tackle), Elyjah Thurmon (left guard), Harris Sewell (center), Collin Sadler (right guard) and Easton Ware (right tackle).
Sewell (17 starts in 35 games) and Sadler (15 in 28 games) have starting experience, and Thurmon (two in 11 games) and Jacobs (four in 10 games) have limited playing time but showed flashes to handle starting duties. Ware missed the 2025 season with a shoulder injury.
All except Sewell will be coming off season-ending injuries.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Can Clemson RB Gideon Davidson break out after quiet freshman year?
Continue reading...
