This tight end prospect from the Peach State, closing in on double-digit Power Five offers, made his first-ever gameday visit to Death Valley earlier this season.
Milton (Ga.) High School’s Ryan Ghea, a standout sophomore in the class of 2025, traveled to Clemson for the 3:30 p.m. game against Furman back on Sept. 10.
“It was just the atmosphere overall,” Ghea said, reflecting on what stood out to him about the gameday visit. “I came for a midday game, and it was practically sold out. And then it was just how Coach (Kyle) Richardson used the tight ends in the passing game.”
Speaking of Richardson, the Tigers’ first-year passing game coordinator and tight ends coach, Ghea said he reached out to his head coach at Milton about Ghea returning to Clemson for another game this season.
According to Ghea, Richardson and the Tigers want him to come back for the Nov. 19 matchup against Miami, and that’s something he plans to do if his team’s playoff schedule permits.
“Working with my parents to get back,” he said. “Our playoffs have been moved to Sat. Waiting to see if this one is too.”
Ghea said the interest from Clemson and fact the Tigers hope to get him back on campus “means a lot” to him.
“Just trying to stay humble in the whole process and just keep my head down and work hard,” he added.
When Ghea visited Clemson for the Furman game, he was able to spend a lot of time with offensive player development coach Tajh Boyd and had some individual time with Richardson as well.
“I like how he envisions me there, like how he thinks that I would fit well with their culture,” Ghea said of Richardson. “When we were talking, he showed me examples of players that are in his tight end room right now that are kind of like me.”
According to Ghea (6-5.5, 220), Richardson likens him to Clemson sophomore tight end Jake Briningstool (6-6, 230).
“He compares me to him because I’m practically almost the same weight he was when he came in and I’m the same height as him,” Ghea said. “So, that’s really how he compared me there.”
How does Ghea describe himself as a tight end?
“I would describe myself as very versatile,” he said, “whether it’s blocking anybody – outside, inside the box – and then being a pass catcher, willing to come out of the backfield, on-the-line tight end, going in the slot, anywhere.”
Ghea has also attended Georgia Tech, Florida State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, South Carolina, Wisconsin and Cincinnati games this season.
With the exception of South Carolina, all of those schools have offered Ghea, who also owns offers from schools such as Ohio State, NC State, Louisville and Indiana.
It’s still early in the recruiting process for Ghea, and Clemson of course usually doesn’t offer prospects until the summer before their junior year.
“I would definitely, first of all, appreciate the offer. I would consider it,” he said of Clemson. “But I’m still really early with my recruiting. I’m still trying to figure out what will fit for me.”
Multiple things about Clemson stand out to Ghea when he looks at it as a potential college option, should the Tigers pull the trigger on an offer down the road.
“Definitely the atmosphere and how the gamedays are, like how it is on the field, just how it feels,” he said, “and how they use multiple tight ends.”
What will be important to Ghea whenever he makes his college decision in the future?
“Definitely the education for me,” he said. “How the education fits with what I want to do, and how they treat my family and how comfortable I feel there.”
–Photos courtesy of Ryan Ghea
Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.
Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!
