One of the nation’s top gunslingers in the class of 2025 was back in Tiger Town last week. As he checked out various programs this summer, Findlay (Oh.) quarterback Ryan Montgomery made sure to stop at Clemson.
“It was awesome,” Montgomery told The Clemson Insider regarding his Clemson visit. “What was cool was Tajh Boyd was with us the entire time. He’s on staff now at Clemson, so that was really cool to see. The amount of former players that are on staff now at Clemson is just unreal like it’s the most of any place I’ve ever been to. That speaks measures by itself. The visit itself went really well. We toured around the campus and the facilities and went out to dinner.”
Clemson’s culture immediately stood out to Montgomery. It wasn’t his first time on campus, but the way Clemson cares for its players is something that immediately grabbed his attention.
“They have such a strong brotherhood there that I really like,” he said.
Montgomery spent a lot of his time on campus with Boyd.
“He’s not just a football player, he’s a really successful former player at Clemson,” Montgomery said of Boyd. “Just seeing the amount of knowledge he has, when he’s talking to you, you just want to soak up as much as possible. When you’re talking to him, you’re learning from him and you’re learning from the best.”
Boyd is part of a tradition at Clemson that has made Tiger Town an intriguing option for quarterback recruits around the country. The success that Boyd, Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence had at Clemson is definitely something Montgomery will have to consider when evaluating the development he’ll get from potential suitors at the next level.
“It definitely does, just seeing the past couple of quarterbacks have had in recent years at Clemson,” Montgomery said. “Obviously, the dream goal is to play college football and succeed there. The dream goal is to one-time play in the NFL. That’s the dream. Clemson is definitely a place that can develop you that can get to that point. “
Academics come first, though. Montgomery understands that getting a degree from Clemson will set him up for life. He also got to witness that first-hand in his older brother’s recruitment.
Clemson was among the final suitors for 2023 four-star offensive tackle Luke Montgomery, who verbally pledged to Ohio State earlier this year. The way Clemson recruited Luke and treated the Montgomery family stood out to Ryan and left him wanting to find out more about the program for his own recruitment.
“For sure,” he said. “They’re amazing people and I’d say that they’re a player-first culture and that is really awesome. They really care about their players, not just the development on the field, but off the field and as a person and things like becoming a better husband, a better son and everything like that. I just thought that was really cool and, obviously, they really care about getting a degree at Clemson. I know that’s big in our family — academics.”
In addition to Clemson, Ryan checked out other programs like Michigan State, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky.
“Not every kid gets this opportunity, so I definitely don’t take it for granted,” Ryan said about getting back on the recruiting trail this summer. “I soak in as much as possible…and at the end of the day it’s just a blessing and it’s really cool to get around to all these places, learn about these schools and just keep building these relationships with all these coaches.”
While Ryan loved being on these recruiting trips, he was also ready to get back with his team. He hates missing out on the workouts. That speaks to Ryan’s character, but we also wanted to find out who he is as a player from his own point of view.
“I’d say I’m more of a prototypical quarterback,” Ryan said when asked to describe himself as a player. “I’d say I’m more of a drop-back passer. The one thing I’d say is that I’m a really good leader and my work ethic is second to none.”
Had a phenomenal time a Clemson yesterday! Truly a special place! Can’t wait to catch a game this fall!@SorrellsJordan @TajhB10 pic.twitter.com/IVmnMlqRoA
— Ryan Montgomery (@RyanMonty2025) June 19, 2022
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