The premier event on Clemson’s summer recruiting calendar arrived Monday.
After having an offcial visit weekend that led to a parade of commitments earlier this summer, Clemson held its annual All In Cookout on Monday. Clemson’s commitments comprised the vast majority of cookout attendees, including AJ Hoffler, the four-star defensive end out of Atlanta’s (Ga.) Woodward Academy.
TCI caught up with Hoffler Monday night on his drive back from the Cookout.
Hoffler said this time around had nothing to do with recruiting, especially when considering that 16 of 18 of those in attendance were already committed to Clemson. Archbishop Wood High School (Warminster, Pa.) three-star tight end Markus Dixon was the only commit who didn’t attend.
“It was real fun,” Hoffler said. “We have a real good relationship. All of us, we’re all really close already. It was just good to see everyone in person since the (official visit weekend). Half the people that were on the OV committed, so it was good to see them in person because like I said, we’re all really close. It was like hanging out with your friends. I enjoyed it a bunch. I’m sure all the other guys did as well.”
Even though Hoffler later bragged about beating his coaches in dodgeball on Twitter, he raved about the Wiffle Ball home run derby in his conversation with TCI.
The recruits were split up into four teams and the winner of that competition matched up against Clemson’s coaching staff. Hoffler was on a team that included Stephiylan Green, Avieon Terrell and Shelton Lewis. His team went the furthest.
“Vic Burley called me out because I beat him before to get my team into the final round against the coaches,” Hoffler said. “It was fun to compete and I guess just spending time with the guys was probably my favorite thing.”
Hoffler was accompanied by his parents on this latest visit, but he drove separately from them. He arrived at Clemson’s Lakeside Lodge on Sunday, which allowed him to spend some time with his future teammates like Christopher Vizzina, Peter Woods and Olsen Patt Henry.
While Hoffler said that this visit wasn’t directly related to recruiting, that only applied to the 16 commits who were on campus. Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star safety Robert Billings and Stockbridge (Ga.) three-star cornerback Shelton Lewis were the two uncommitted prospects at Monday’s Cookout.
Hoffler revealed that North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.) four-star defensive lineman Kayden McDonald was supposed to be in attendance, as there were several things with his name on it, but he was unable to make the trip up to Tiger Town.
As a Georgia native himself, Hoffler was trying to get a couple of more Peach State products to join the class.
“I was just telling them, ‘I don’t know what other schools you’re looking at, but I guarantee it’s nothing they have that Clemson doesn’t,” Hoffler said regarding his message to the uncommitted prospects. “I was just selling them on the school and stuff.”
Hoffler has gone through that process several times, so it was nice for him to be able to relax and not have to worry about being sold on Clemson.
“I didn’t have to think about where I’m going to go,” he said. “I know that’s where I’m gonna be. I’m getting more comfortable being there, remembering more people’s names and faces. I was just getting more comfortable with where I’m gonna be for the next couple of years and not have to worry about much.”
— Photo for this article courtsey of AJ Hoffler.
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