This Monday, Clemson played host to one of its top defensive end targets in the 2023 recruiting class.
Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star A.J. Hoffler made his way to Tiger Town, along with his mother, for an unofficial visit. It was important for the newly-offered pass-rusher to get back on campus.
“It was really good,” Hoffler told The Clemson Insider. “I didn’t have time to stay for the whole day, but it was really just to go up again so my mom could see the campus and the environment and she really liked it a bunch.
“And then I got to meet with Coach Swinney for 40 minutes, so that was really good. Then I got to watch film with Coach (Wesley) Goodwin and Coach (Lemanksi) Hall and draw some plays up on the board for myself. Overall, I enjoyed the visit a bunch and I was really even more impressed and my mom was very impressed as well.”
Hoffler was accompanied by his father for Clemson’s “spring elite day” on Saturday, March 5, which was the Tigers’ second junior day of the year. He wanted to come back to check out spring practice, but he was unable to do that.
He was also supposed to come to check out Clemson on Friday, April 8, but his mother, who is an Atlanta-based lawyer, was invited to go to the White House after Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to the Supreme Court last week.
It ended up working out for Hoffler, who received the undivided attention of the coaching staff while he was back on campus. When he ate lunch, he did so with Hall, Goodwin and defensive tackles coach Nick Eason. Hoffler pretty much talked to every coach that was on campus Friday.
Hoffler indicated that Hall and Goodwin reach out more probably than any other school, as his relationships have really picked up with them.
“It’s progressed a lot,” he said of his relationships with Hall and Goodwin. “I would say before they offered me, I was just hearing from Coach Hall. Well, I was hearing from all the coaches, but not as much as I do now. I hear from Coach (Mike) Reed, Coach Hall, Coach Goodwin. I hear from them like twice a week, definitely Coach Hall and Coach Goodwin, and sometimes I’ll hear from Coach Eason. Sometimes I hear from Coach (Mickey) Conn and sometimes I hear from Coach Swinney.”
During his sit-down conversation with Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, Hoffler was told that Clemson will be losing a total of seven defensive linemen (four defensive ends) after the 2022 season. The Tigers will be signing three defensive ends in their 2023 recruiting class.
“If I go there, I have a good chance of playing early,” Hoffler said. “It’s not guaranteed, but it’s a good chance because they are losing four ends. That was just football-wise and off the field, he was telling me how he would develop me as a man and person and give me tools to be successful further on in my life. I liked the off-the-field message more, but I still liked the on-the-field.”
Playing early will go into Hoffler’s decision if he were to go to Clemson, but it isn’t as big a factor as everything else. At the same, that will still be under consideration when he ultimately makes his college decision.
“Say I were to get hurt or something, I know that Clemson’s not like other schools,” he said. “I know they would still build me the same way, with or without football. That’s kind of the biggest thing for me and Clemson is how much they care for their players. They care for everyone the same way. Everything is fair and all is genuine. It’s just a great environment all around.”
Hoffler said how much the Tigers value education and the culture within the program are two things that probably make Clemson stand out the most.
He also indicated that Clemson is closing the gap with Ohio State, which he’s long maintained as the top school in his recruitment.
“I would say that the gap there is probably really small now, almost tied from my top choice,” Hoffler said. “That’s just how high I think of Clemson right now following the visit and I’m excited to see where it goes.”
Just because Hoffler plans on making his decision before the summer is over, he is planning to take his Clemson official visit on the same days as everyone else, from June 3-5.
Hoffler (6-5, 240) is ranked as the No. 31 defensive lineman and No. 199 overall prospect in the 2023 class by 247Sports.
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