Clemson will again play host to some top prospects for Saturday’s 8:00 p.m. game against Louisiana Tech in Death Valley.
Here are some of the bigger names The Clemson Insider has confirmed as planned visitors for the Clemson-Tech game.
The headlining prospect in the class of 2023 is Kennesaw (Ga.) North Cobb Christian School three-star interior offensive lineman Gabriel Fortson. The 6-foot-4, 300-pound senior participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp this past summer and had a great time while competing at the camp and working with Clemson’s coaching staff.
He also said he “definitely” feels better about his chances of earning an offer from the Tigers based on how this year’s Swinney Camp went for him.
“It’d mean a lot,” Fortson said of a potential Clemson offer. “It’d immediately be one of my top schools on the list. Honestly, I’d love to go there. Everything’s so family-oriented, and Coach Swinney’s such a great coach and everything. I’d love to be a part of it.”
A couple of headliners among the recruits expected to be in attendance are a five-star class of 2024 prospect in Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.) safety Mike Matthews, as well as a four-star class of 2024 prospect in Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Joseph’s Prep cornerback Omillio Agard.
When Clemson formally turned the page to offering prospects in the 2024 class on Wednesday, June 1, and started doling out offers to rising junior recruits, two of the first prospects to report offers from the Tigers were Matthews and Agard.
247Sports considers Matthews (6-3. 180) to be the No. 1 safety and the nation’s No. 9 overall prospect regardless of position in the class of 2024.
“I was very excited,” Matthews said of receiving an offer from Clemson. “It’s very important for me for a school like that to offer me. It shows how they feel about me as a player.”
Agard (6-0, 173) is ranked as the No. 8 cornerback and No. 84 overall prospect in the 2024 class by Rivals, while 247Sports considers him the No. 18 corner and No. 204 overall prospect in the class.
“Getting that offer means a lot because I’ve been building a relationship with Coach Reed and the coaches for over a year now, so it’s like, ‘Wow, they really believe in me,’ because I’m one of the first offers in the class,” Agard told The Clemson Insider back in June. It means a lot and they don’t offer too many guys, so I’m just grateful. I’m definitely high on them and they’re high on me. We’re gonna see where this goes in the next couple of years.”
During his visit, Agard got a chance to talk with Clemson coach Dabo Swinney for about 30 minutes. According to Agard, Swinney was telling him that he’s the type of guy that they want in their program because he’s a great person with good academics.
“I just check every box,” Agard recalled, “and they check all my boxes at a school that I want to be at. It just all fell into place. Coach Swinney’s a great guy and he just showed me that I’m wanted.”
“I’m really high on Clemson now,” he added. “I see myself there. I could be a Tiger. It was just great.”
Cass (Cartersville, Ga.) 2024 three-star wide receiver Sacovie White will be making his first trip to Clemson on Saturday, along with his mother and sister.
“I’m very excited about that,” he said of Saturday’s game. “It’s just to see a night game. Night games are very, very inspiring — just seeing what the atmosphere feels like.”
Another prospect worth mentioning that will be in attendance is Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.) 2025 offensive lineman Cortez Smith. Smith — a 6-foot-4, 275-pound sophomore in the class of 2025 — is high on Clemson early and is already one of the top offensive guards in the country. He holds a lone offer from Penn State.
Among other notable recruits on Clemson’s anticipated guest list for Saturday’s game are two Clemson commits in Birmingham (Ala.) Briarwood Christian five-star quarterback Christopher Vizzina and Stockbridge (Georgia) three-star cornerback Shelton Lewis, as well as Gaffney (S.C.) 2023 DB O’Myireia Daniels, Navarre (Florida) four-star LB Zavier Hamilton, Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Joseph’s Prep four-star WR David Washington, Jr., Daphne (Ala.) Bayside Academy 2024 OL Graham Uter, Spartanburg (S.C.) Broome High 2024 OL Steven O’Dell, Alpharetta (Ga.) Johns Creek 2024 WR Kyle Vaka, Buffalo (West Virginia) 2025 QB Josh Moody, Woodmont (Simpsonville, S.C.) 2025 TE Tre Broughton, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) 2025 OL Bryce Hudson, Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.) 2025 OL Jordan Floyd and Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School (Georgia) 2025 DL Terry Nwabuisi Ezeala.
— Myrtle Beach (S.C.) 2025 WR John Simmons messaged The Clemson Insider saying that he might be attending this weekend’s game, while unconfirmed at the moment.
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