Top 3 landing spots for 4-star safety Ladarian Clardy to the class of 2025 ft. Ole Miss

Four-star safety Ladarian Clardy, from Escambia High School in Florida, was set to announce his commitment on Aug. 3 but postponed the announcement. He has now set his commitment date for Sept. 21.

During his junior season, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound prospect recorded 57 tackles, two tackles for loss, four interceptions and eight pass deflections, while also rushing four times for eleven yards and one touchdown. He also caught eight passes for 163 yards and four touchdowns that season.

Clardy is ranked by On3 as the nation's No. 17 safety in the 2025 class, the No. 199 overall prospect and the No. 28 prospect in Florida. 247Sports places him as the No.15 safety nationally, the No. 182 prospect overall in the class and the No. 21 prospect in the state.

Let's see which programs made it to Clardy's top three schools.

Top 3 programs in competition for Ladarian Clardy's commitment

3. Florida State

Florida State was once seen as a frontrunner for Ladarian Clardy's commitment but the scenario has changed. 247Sports still projects that he will commit to Florida State or Ole Miss, but according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, the Seminoles have less than a 1% chance of landing his commitment.

The relationship Clardy has developed with the Seminoles' defensive back coach Patrick Surtain has been a big factor. Head coach Mike Norvell has also made a strong impression on him. Following an official visit to Tallahassee in early June, the prospect remarked that Florida State had pushed themselves back to the top of his list.

"What pushed them to the top was the love they showed," Clardy told On3. "That, the way they run things, how me and coach Norvell’s bond got even better over the weekend put Florida State on top. Coach Norvell let me know that he really wants to coach me and get me to the next level.”

The Seminoles have 13 players committed to the 2025 class, which ranks No. 11 in the nation and No. 3 in the ACC. It has two defensive backs committed in the class: four-star cornerback Gregory "Zae" Thomas and three-star safety Max Redmon.

2. Mississippi State

Mississippi State is seemingly a dark horse in Clardy's recruitment, with a slim 1.3% chance of landing his commitment, according to On3’s Prediction Machine. But the Bulldogs have made a strong push to keep themselves in the conversation. He visited Starkville on June 14.

The Bulldogs have 17 players committed to the 2025 class, ranking No. 50 in the nation and No. 15 in the SEC. The class has already earned commitments from safeties Stephen Miller and Lo'Kavion Jackson. Cardy can be the first four-star safety in the cycle if he commits.

1. Ole Miss

Ole Miss is leading the race for his recruitment with a 95.3% chance of earning his pledge. He first visited the Rebels program in March and that initial visit set the stage for the program's rise to the top of his list. He returned to Oxford on June 21, where he was seen riding shotgun with head coach Lane Kiffin.

“Their message to me was that I’m a priority,” Clardy told On3. “They talked about how they could develop me on and the field to help me achieve my goal in the next three years.”

Ole Miss has 15 players committed to the 2025 class, which ranks No. 20 in the nation and No. 10 in the SEC. The class features blue-chip prospects like Andrew Maddox, Jarcoby Hopson and Keon Young.