Tag: A.J. Hoffler

Clemson commit ‘felt a part of the team’ during first game visit to Death Valley

This Clemson commit plans on being at just about every home game this season. After attending Clemson’s 35-12 win over Furman this past Saturday at Memorial Stadium, College Park (Ga.) Woodward Academy four-star defensive end A.J. Hoffler recapped …

This Clemson commit plans on being at just about every home game this season.

After attending Clemson’s 35-12 win over Furman this past Saturday at Memorial Stadium, College Park (Ga.) Woodward Academy four-star defensive end A.J. Hoffler recapped his latest experience on campus for what was his first-ever home game in The Valley.

“It was really cool,” Hoffler told The Clemson Insider regarding his Clemson gameday experience. “I’ve seen videos of it, but it wasn’t like anything I’ve seen on video because I was actually there in person. It was my first time getting to see all of it and seeing how the fans are in person and all the chants. It was a really good experience.”

“They let us get on the hill right next to the players,” Hoffler added.  “It felt like I was about to run down the hill. I was real excited. I wish I could’ve, but I’ll get my chance soon.”

Hoffler has been to two Clemson games in five days. He was in attendance for the Tigers’ 41-10 win over Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Monday, Sept. 5.

“That was real cool,” Hoffler said. “That was technically the first Clesmon game I’ve ever been to, even though it wasn’t a home game, that was my first time getting to see them play in person. It was really cool, especially because they beat Georgia Tech pretty good. I was cheering along with all the fans. It was fun.”

Was there anything that stood out to him about the way Clemson’s defensive line played as a whole?

“It was more so the last game when I saw that,” he said. “(Furman) was running a weird (offense) — so they really didn’t get to do just straight-up pass rushes. It wasn’t as much of that this week, I don’t think, as there was last week, but out of the two weeks, I was really impressed with the energy from the d-tackles and how much they were moving around. I was real impressed with the d-line and Coach (Wesley) Goodwin. I think Coach (Nick) Eason calls the d-line stunts, but I was real impressed with all of that.”

After Clemson’s 23-point win over Furman this past Saturday, Hoffler had a chance to be in the locker room postgame. He got a chance to see Clemson coach Dabo Swinney speak to his team after the game, as well as the dancing that went on postgame.

“I felt a part of the team,” Hoffler said. “I was right in there with all of them.”

That’s something Clemson has done a good job of in recruiting Hoffler. As much as Clemson can do within the NCAA rules, the Tigers have made Hoffler feel like he’s already a part of the team. Especially when considering that most of the current players on the roster already have an idea who the standout Peach State edge rusher is.

While the coaching staff was happy to see Hoffler back in The Valley Saturday, defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall was in attendance for his Woodward Academy team’s 28-21 win over Marist (Atlanta) on Friday. After a performance in which, according to Hoffler, he recorded three sacks and five tackles (one for loss), it should be noted that the coaching staff can’t wait to get him on campus.

“He was really pleased with my game and he just showed me one thing that I could work on,” Hoffler said.

According to Hoffler, he’s recorded between four or five sacks through the first three games of his senior season. While he admitted that he could have more sacks, he acknowledged that he just needs to clean up some technical things that’ll help him once he gets to college.

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The Insider Report: Recruits react to Clemson game-day visit

It’s time for this week’s edition of The Insider Report. We hope everyone had a great weekend. Update on nation’s No. 1 LB after latest Clemson visit Sammy Brown has made a bunch of trips to Clemson since the spring and was back on campus again last …

It’s time for this week’s edition of The Insider Report.

We hope everyone had a great weekend.

Update on nation’s No. 1 LB after latest Clemson visit

Sammy Brown has made a bunch of trips to Clemson since the spring and was back on campus again last weekend as one of the headliners among the prospects in attendance for the Furman game.

The Clemson Insider caught up with the five-star prospect from Jefferson (Ga.) High School and the nation’s top-ranked linebacker in the 2024 class about his latest visit experience.

Brown (6-2, 227) told us that he “had a really good time” Saturday and enjoyed being able to catch up with Clemson’s coaching staff and speak with them in person.

Brown said he has “a great relationship” with the Tigers’ staff and finds the coaches really easy to talk to. He said he was able to talk with them like he talks to friends – for example, he and defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Wes Goodwin chopped it up about the upcoming hunting season and things like that.

The biggest thing that stood out to Brown on Saturday, he said, was seeing the Tigers wear “E11A Strong” T-shirts during Tiger Walk prior to the game to show support for Bryan Bresee’s sister, Ella, who is battling brain cancer.

“I thought that was really cool and it really shows that family that Clemson has,” he said.

Asked if Saturday’s visit changed anything about where the Tigers stand with him right now, Brown said he wouldn’t say it changed anything but it “definitely was a reassurance of what I already know about them.”

As for future visits, Brown said he and his family are just taking it week by week and don’t have any more set up right now but will probably make it to games around their area.

Brown became the first prospect in the 2024 class to receive an offer from Clemson when he picked up the offer while on campus for the program’s underclassmen day on March 12. He then returned on April 6 to take in the Tigers’ final spring practice prior to their April 9 spring game, before traveling back to campus for another visit during the Swinney Camp in June.

TE with Clemson tie returns to Tiger Town

A fast-rising tight end prospect from the Peach State, with a Clemson connection, returned to Tiger Town for the Furman game.

Milton (Ga.) High School’s Ryan Ghea – a 6-foot-5, 220-pound sophomore in the 2025 class – was back on campus after competing at the Dabo Swinney Camp in June.

Saturday marked his first game-day visit to Clemson.

“I really enjoyed it,” he told TCI. “I had a very good time enjoying everything and just taking it all in.”

“It was a crazy atmosphere between the fans, players, everything,” he added.

Ghea was shown around by offensive analyst Tajh Boyd and also had the chance to spend time with tight ends coach Kyle Richardson and his family in his office.

According to Ghea, Richardson told Ghea that he wants him to camp at Clemson again next summer and explained that Clemson isn’t a school that offers early. Richardson said he wants Ghea to continue sending his film and keep building their relationship.

Ghea said as a tight end, Richardson likes his size, ability to catch the ball with his hands and his playmaking ability all over the field. He also likes Ghea’s physicality and blocking ability, whether it be blocking defensive linemen, linebackers or defensive backs.

Richardson asked if Ghea wanted to come back for the Miami game in November, and he’s going to see if he can make it back for that.

Ghea’s Milton teammate – four-star Clemson safety commit Rob Billings – is planning to be at that game.

The two have built a good bond.

“We started hanging out over this last year, growing our relationship, whether that’s football, watching film together, or if that’s like golfing together, stuff like that,” Ghea said.

Indiana, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Liberty and UConn all offered Ghea in May before Florida State and Ohio State joined his quickly growing offer list in June. NC State gave him his latest offer in late July.

Tar Heel State RB ‘really loved’ getting back to Clemson

A talented and versatile running back from the Tar Heel State was back in Tiger Town last weekend.

Charlotte (N.C.) Christian School’s Ryan Henley attended the Furman game.

“I really loved getting down there,” he told TCI. “Every time I go down there, it’s a joy to see that the culture remains the same, that culture being consistent and the message from the coaches remaining consistent. But this time, I got to talk with a lot of the coaches and everything and got to sit down and hear what they had to say, which is really cool. I think it kind of gave me a better sense of where I stand with them than last year’s unofficial.”

Henley, a prospect in the class of 2024, visited Clemson for the Florida State game in 2021 and has participated in the Swinney Camp each of the last two summers.

The 5-foot-10, 184-pound junior explained where he stands with the Tigers at this point in the process based on what he’s heard from the coaches.

“They really like me,” he said. “I think they’re just still continuing to build that relationship. I’ve scheduled some calls with Coach (CJ) Spiller, so we’re going to be able to continue to have communication there, build upon that relationship, and I think that’ll be extremely important to the recruiting process there.”

“They were kind of saying they like what I’m doing,” he added. “They’re kind of looking for a back that’s versatile like what I can do in terms of the slot and running back and then be involved in that return game as well and kickoff and just getting involved in special teams.”

Along with Clemson, schools such as South Carolina, Duke, Virginia, UConn and Northwestern have shown interest in Henley, who rushed for more than 800 yards, averaged 8.1 yards per carry and racked up 900-plus all-purpose yards as a sophomore last season.

In the first game of his junior campaign this year, Henley totaled 130 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. Then, in his team’s second game, he filled in at slot receiver due to injuries and made a big impact while accounting for 98 yards and two touchdowns.

Clemson making a move with Peach State CB, teammate of current Tiger

Another name worth keeping an eye on is that of College Park (Ga.) Douglas County’s Israel Boyce, who was back on campus for the Furman game this past weekend. Boyce — a 6-foot, 175-pound cornerback in the class of 2024 — returned to campus after previously participating in the Dabo Swinney Camp back in June.

“My time at the Clemson game was a great experience,” Boyce told The Clemson Insider in a phone interview Sunday night. “I felt like family as soon as I got there. I got to do a lot of stuff, like we got to run across the field, going up the hill — that was all a great experience. The coaching staff, I felt like they was very genuine.”

Boyce heard directly from Mike Reed on Sept. 1 and they’ve maintained close contact since then. According to Boyce, Clemson’s cornerbacks coach “snuck up” on him before Clemson’s 35-12 win over Furman on the sideline. They talked about how his season is going right now, but at the same time, Boyce said they talk just about every day.

Remember, Reed is also now the position coach of true freshman cornerback Myles Oliver, who is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. That’s important to note here because Boyce and Oliver are close friends and former teammates at Douglas County High School.

“I’m getting a lot of love (from Clemson),” Boyce said. “I’m feeding into it. It might be the one.”

Notes on a couple of Clemson commits

The Clemson Insider confirmed over the weekend that Rome (Georgia) four-star defensive lineman, Stephiylan Green, was in attendance for Clemson’s home opener at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

The news comes after Green was in attendance for Georgia’s 49-3 win over Oregon in Atlanta a week prior. While Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs are still pursuing the Clemson commit, it’s a positive development that Green was in attendance for Saturday’s game, along with Peter Woods, A.J. Hoffler, Ronan Hanafin, Dee Crayton, Branden Strozier, Rob Billings and Zechariah Owens.

Speaking of Hoffler, we had the chance to catch up with him on Sunday night, following his first-ever Clemson gameday experience. Of course, that came on the heels of defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall being in attendance for his game on Friday, in which he recorded three sacks.

“He was really pleased with my game,” Hoffler said of Hall.

Hall, along with the rest of Clemson’s coaching staff, was happy to have Hoffler back on campus. Hoffler felt like he was a part of the team without officially being a part of the roster — that won’t happen until next summer. In any event, he plans on being at just about every Clemson home game this season.

Clemson involved with rising Sunshine State WR

While it remains to be seen whether or not Clemson will add up to three wide receiver commits to its 2023 recruiting class, The Clemson Insider has learned that the Tigers appear to be involved with another senior wideout.

According to Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons WR Patrick Stepelton, Tyler Grisham has been communicating with his father since the spring. Clemson’s wide receivers coach tried to get him up over the summer for a camp, but the dates just didn’t work out. 

Grisham followed Stepelton on Twitter the other day and later texted his father, saying that he was looking great and that he would like to get him up to Clemson for a recruiting visit. Stepelton told TCI that he will “100%” be getting up to Tiger Town for a game at some point this season.

While nothing is imminent, Stepelton is viewed as a fast-rising prospect, who could potentially blow up this season, much like Cole Turner. While he doesn’t have the credentials that Noble Johnson or Ronan Hanafin may have, the 6-foot-2, 197-pound wideout could have a similar trajectory to that of Turner, who has received rave reviews since arriving at Clemson.

In any event, he’s a name worth passing along at this point.

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Special haul quieting concerns about Clemson’s defensive line recruiting

After Peter Woods committed to Clemson on Friday night, the number of reactions his commitment generated on social media said a lot about how big a deal it is that the Tigers were able to beat out Alabama for the five-star defensive lineman from the …

After Peter Woods committed to Clemson on Friday night, the number of reactions his commitment generated on social media said a lot about how big a deal it is that the Tigers were able to beat out Alabama for the five-star defensive lineman from the Crimson Tide’s backyard.

If you scrolled through Twitter after Woods announced his verbal pledge to Dabo Swinney’s program during a commitment ceremony at his high school, you know the bird app was really buzzing with a slew of posts about the Tigers’ addition of the Thompson High School (Alabaster, Ala.) star.

And rightfully so. Woods represents a major coup for Swinney and Clemson, which bested Saban and Bama to get the blue-chip recruit who ranks as the nation’s No. 3 defensive lineman and No. 23 overall prospect in the country for the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.

With Woods now on board, Clemson’s 2023 class currently checks in at No. 3 nationally in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings behind only Notre Dame and Ohio State, respectively.

Nearly a third of the total commits (five of 17) in Clemson’s 2023 class are defensive linemen, with Woods joining Vic Burley, AJ Hoffler, David Ojiegbe and Stephiylan Green in the class.

It’s certainly a special group that defensive tackles coach Nick Eason and ends coach Lemanski Hall have helped the Tigers put together, hoping to mitigate the losses that will come from those respective position groups following the 2022 season.

Woods and Burley are both ranked as top-50 national prospects regardless of position per the 247Sports Composite, while Hoffler, Ojiegbe and Green are all highly regarded as well as top-215 national recruits according to at least one service or another.

You have to look back a few cycles to find the last time Clemson brought in as touted a bunch of defensive linemen as this group — the 2020 class which featured Bryan Bresee and Myles Murphy, now a pair of projected top picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, along with a couple of former top-100 national prospects in Demonte Capehart and Tre Williams.

Of course, Clemson has consistently recruited at a high level with defensive linemen, and that has led to the Tigers fielding high-caliber units like the Power Rangers with Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence, Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant, and the one Clemson fans will get to enjoy watching this season in The Avengers with Bresee, Murphy, Xavier Thomas, K.J. Henry and Tyler Davis among others.

But if you ask Clemson’s new five-star commitment, is the future of the Tigers’ defensive line even brighter with the group coming in as part of the 2023 class?

“This is about to be the best d-line group that you will ever see,” Woods told The Clemson Insider. “We’re gonna come in and we’re gonna work. We’re all on the same page and we’re ready to grind. We’re gonna be the best ones.”

Prior to this cycle, Clemson’s coaching staff took a lot of heat after missing out on several top targets in the class of 2022. 

The groans only continued after Jihaad Campbell elected to walk back his verbal pledge just a few days before the early signing period. Campbell, who is now enrolled at the University of Alabama, decommitted from Clemson after Brent Venables left for Oklahoma.

Even before Todd Bates followed Venables to Norman, he wasn’t able to secure any defensive tackles in the 2022 class. While Clemson certainly had more spots for the current rising senior class, Bates was only able to secure a commitment from Payton Page in an 18-month period.

Enter Eason.

Even after he left his post at Auburn University, Eason never stopped recruiting Caden Story. It wasn’t too long thereafter that the four-star defensive tackle out of Lannett (Ala.) followed his lead recruiter to Tiger Town.

Eason didn’t let up after Story. 

No, he was only getting started and starting his own story — no pun intended — as a recruiter at Clemson. Adding players like Burley, Green and now Woods only proves that notion and helps put the cherry on top of a star-studded class.

Adding top talent to the defensive line has always been important to a program that dons the moniker “DLU.” 

Those who were worried about Clemson’s defensive line recruiting might have to walk back some of their early frustrations, as the Tigers have quickly and not so quietly added one of the top defensive line hauls in the country to their 2023 class.

— Photo for this article courtesy of Stephiylan Green (@stephiylan) on Twitter.

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‘It’s been a long time coming’: Clemson lands another major commitment

AJ Hoffler knew he wanted to be a Clemson Tiger since last month. The four-star defensive end out of Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) finally made that happen as he verbally pledged to Clemson on Tuesday evening over schools like Ohio State and North …

AJ Hoffler knew he wanted to be a Clemson Tiger since last month.

The four-star defensive end out of Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) finally made that happen as he verbally pledged to Clemson on Tuesday evening over schools like Ohio State and North Carolina.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Hoffler told The Clemson Insider in an exclusive phone interview Monday night. “I kind of knew I was gonna pick Clemson for about a month or so now. I just got to the point where I didn’t need to wait any longer. I already knew where I wanted to go to college.”

“I’d say what made me choose (Clemson) is they were recruiting me the hardest for a while and they just showed my family a bunch of love as well,” he continued. “It wasn’t just me, they were checking up on my mom and my dad and my grandparents all the time, so I knew it was really a family thing and it was more than just football.”

Hoffler made another unofficial visit to Clemson in mid-May. It was an opportunity for him to do some things that he didn’t get to do when he visited with his mother, back on Monday, April 11. While the visit wasn’t a state secret, he didn’t want it to be made public. To his surprise, he had a chance to meet with Clemson’s president, Jim Clements.

“That was the first school to introduce me to the president,” Hoffler said. “The president, he was real excited to see me. He said that he watched my film. He knew all about me. He knew about my mom. I just felt at home there, so that’s why I was ready to make my decision.”

On the car ride home back to the Peach State, that’s when Hoffler knew Clemson was where he wanted to be. His official visit from June 3-5 only confirmed that.

“The day before the official visit, I told Coach (Lemanski Hall) I was gonna commit,” Hoffler said. “I knew before the official, but after the official visit, I felt 100% confident (in my decision). It just reassured (me) that I did want to be there. I already knew going into it that I was gonna commit, but after leaving, I just felt even better about it.”

According to Hoffler, Hall had been telling him prior to the weekend of the official visit that he was the No. 1 guy that Clemson’s defensive ends coach wanted right now. There was a spot for him to commit during the official visit weekend and while the spot was still going to be there afterward, Hall said he couldn’t hold it if someone else wanted to commit.

Hoffler called Hall on June 2 and told him that he was coming to Clemson.

“Him and his wife were screaming on the phone,” Hoffler said. “When I told Coach Swinney, he had the same reaction. Coach Swinney started jumping up and down. So, I felt really good about (my decision). I felt like I was wanted and they didn’t have any hesitation about taking me. They were ready to get me.”

While Hoffler has been silently committed since then, he was originally planning to commit on his birthday at the end of August. Instead, he decided to join Clemson’s 2023 recruiting class on his mom’s birthday, Tuesday.

While Hoffler has had Clemson as his top school for a considerable amount of time, it wasn’t long ago that Ohio State was considered the leader in his recruitment. Hoffler credited the job that both Hall and defensive coordinator Wesley Goodwin did in recruiting him. They made up a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

“I’d say they did a better job than I could’ve imagined,” Hoffler said. “Because even when they first started talking to me, I was like, ‘Oh man, that’s cool, but I’m still going to Ohio State.’ That’s what I was thinking at the time, but they just kept recruiting me and kept showing me love. They did a better job and they showed genuine care. I have a great relationship with both of them and I talk to both of them at least three-to-four times a week…They did a really, really good job recruiting me. I was really impressed.”

What was it about Clemson’s recruiting pitch that resonated with Hoffler the most?

“It was about developing me as a man off the field and it being more than just football,” he said. “It’s more about academics and developing you as a man than the football part. I know that they say that if you take care of everything off the field, on the field will take care of itself. That was kind of the main thing. I was like, ‘This is where I need to be,’ because it’s more than just football for them.”

Having an opportunity to play early is also something that Hoffler looked at considerably. Hoffler’s trainer brought that to his attention before Clemson did because he trains some of the guys on the Tigers’ defensive line.

“He was telling me that they were losing a bunch of guys (Xavier Thomas, K.J. Henry, Justin Mascoll and Myles Murphy) and if I went there, I had a really good chance at playing as a freshman, assuming that I develop well and learn the system,” Hoffler said. “And then, Coach Ski, Goodwin, Coach (Nick) Eason and Coach Swinney, they all told me the same thing.”

Hoffler put that into another plus category for Clemson. When it came down to it, having the ability to play early wasn’t something that was high up on his list, but he definitely did consider that as something that he was looking at in a school at the next level.”

While Hoffler would’ve liked to enroll in January 2023, he’ll have to wait until this time next year to arrive on campus.

Once Hoffler does arrive on campus, what can Clemson fans expect out of him?

“I know this is cliche, but I personally believe that I’m the hardest worker,” he said. “I’m never gonna give up, no matter how hard the challenge is. I’m self-motivated. I hate quitting. I’m never gonna give up. I think I’m a versatile pass-rusher that can do all kinds of things. I’m a versatile football player that’s hard-nosed and never gonna give up. I’m gonna give it 100% all the time.”

With Tuesday’s commitment, Hoffler joins a class that includes Briarwood Christian (Birmingham, Ala.) five-star quarterback Christopher Vizzina, Warner Robins (Ga.) four-star Vic Burley, St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.) four-star defensive end David Ojiegbe, Vandegrift (Austin, Texas) four-star offensive lineman Ian Reed, Westlake (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star cornerback Avieon Terrell, First Baptist Academy (Naples, Fla.) four-star tight end Olsen Patt Henry, St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star cornerback Branden Strozier, Sumner (Riverview, Fla.) four-star safety Kylen Webb, Rockwall (Texas) four-star wide receiver Noble Johnson, Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.) four-star linebacker Jamal Anderson, Denmark (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star linebacker Dee Crayton and Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) three-star tight end Markus Dixon.

Hoffler (6-4, 240) ranked as high as the No. 214 overall prospect in the 2023 class by 247Sports which tabs him as the nation’s No. 34 defensive lineman in his class.

Top prospects flocking to Tiger Town: Previewing Clemson’s big official visit weekend

Clemson’s big official visit weekend is here. A slew of Clemson’s top targets will be on campus for their official visits this weekend, as the Tigers play host to official visitors in June for the first time under head coach Dabo Swinney. It’s …

Clemson’s big official visit weekend is here.

A slew of Clemson’s top targets will be on campus for their official visits this weekend, as the Tigers play host to official visitors in June for the first time under head coach Dabo Swinney. It’s something they haven’t done in the past, and Swinney recently went in-depth on the change in their official visit policy, explaining that the only prospects being brought in for June official visits are ones who have already been on campus at Clemson in the past for unofficial visits.

TCI has confirmed that more than two dozen prospects in the 2023 class will be making their official visits to Clemson this weekend, including the Tigers’ four commitments.

The official visit weekend runs from today through Sunday, with a casino/game night, Clemson Scavenger Hunt and dinner at Swinney’s house among the highlights on the schedule over the course of the weekend.

As the Tigers get set for the big official visit weekend, The Clemson Insider breaks down the official visitors by position and gives a rundown of the names expected to be on campus this weekend:

Quarterback

Briarwood Christian (Birmingham, Ala.) Christopher Vizzina (committed)

Vizzina committed to Clemson on April 12 over schools like Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Auburn, Ohio State and Georgia.

“It really came down to I went across the country, I went to so many different places and normally a guy from Alabama kind of stays South, doesn’t visit the North and I mean, I went everywhere,” Vizzina said. “And I just kept coming back to Clemson and I kept realizing there’s nowhere else like Clemson.

“I was sold on that. I’ve been building these relationships with the coaches forever now. I mean really a couple of years. It was really a no-brainer.”

He understands the significance of this weekend from a recruiting class standpoint and will certainly do his job as the vocal leader of this class. Vizzina is said to be having a good feeling about this weekend, which certainly bodes well for Clemson.

Running Back

Montgomery (Ala.) Catholic four-star RB Jeremiah Cobb

Cobb released his final four in late May, including Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU and Texas. This, of course, came after the 5-foot-11, 185-pound rising senior became one of the latest recipients of a Clemson offer on May 12.

“They’re pretty high up over most of these schools,” Cobb said. “It’s a really great program filled with great people.”

Cobb, a consensus four-star prospect, is considered by 247Sports to be the nation’s No. 19 running back and the No. 295 prospect in the nation for the class of 2023.

Wide Receivers

Lakeland (Fla.) four-star WR Tyler Williams, Buckingham Browne & Nichols School (Cambridge, Mass.) four-star Ronan Hanafin, Edison (Miami, Fla.) four-star WR Nathaniel Joseph (committed) and Rolesville (Raleigh, N.C.) four-star WR Noah Rogers

In early May, Williams dropped a top-10 featuring Clemson along with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Syracuse, Southern Cal and USF. The Tigers extended a scholarship offer to Williams on Jan. 29, when he visited for the program’s elite junior day. Williams told TCI after he got offered that he would be put in a “great position” if he were to go to Clemson.

Hanafin earned an offer from the Tigers after he made an unofficial visit on March 31. Speaking recently with TCI, Hanafin indicated that the Tigers have had made him a priority and he’s in constant contact with both Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham.

Joseph, a four-star prospect from Edison High School in Miami, Fla., became the first commit in Clemson’s 2023 class when he announced his verbal pledge to the Tigers on Sept. 10, 2021.

Rogers dropped a top-five last month featuring Clemson, Florida State, Ohio State, North Carolina and N.C. State. The Tigers extended a scholarship offer to Rogers on Jan. 12. Rogers (6-2, 180) is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the state of North Carolina for the 2023 class by all the major recruiting services. According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, he is the No. 10 wide receiver and No. 59 overall prospect in his class.

Tight Ends

First Baptist Academy (Naples, Fla.) three-star TE Olsen Patt Henry and Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) three-star TE Markus Dixon 

Henry, who picked up an offer from the Tigers earlier last month, dropped a top schools list featuring Clemson, Minnesota, Duke, Alabama, Florida State, Oklahoma and South Carolina. Henry, who lists close to 20 total offers, mentioned Rutgers, West Virginia, Alabama, Louisville and Oklahoma as the schools recruiting him the hardest at the time he spoke with TCI.

The Tigers have not yet offered Dixon, who is considered by both Rivals and 247Sports to be the nation’s No. 27-ranked tight end in the 2023 class. In addition to Clemson, Dixon is planning on visiting Oregon, Cincinnati and Texas A&M. Dixon included all three schools mentioned above in his top-10 list, which he dropped in early February. Those remaining seven programs are Pitt, Rutgers, Georgia, Florida State, Ole Miss, West Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Offensive Linemen

Odessa (Texas) Permian four-star IOL Harris Sewell, Acworth (Ga.) Kennesaw Mountain three-star IOL Connor Lew, Roebuck (S.C.) Dorman four-star OT Markee Anderson, Mcdonough (Ga.) Eagle’s Landing Christian four-star OT Zechariah Owens, Austin (Texas) Vandegrift four-star OT Ian Reed

In April, Sewell dropped a top-five featuring Clemson along with Texas A&M, Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama. The Tigers extended a scholarship offer to Sewell on Nov. 1, just a couple of days after he was in attendance as an unofficial visitor for Clemson’s 30-20 win over Florida State. He also visited Clemson last July. The 6-foot-4, 300-pounder is ranked as a top-100 national prospect in the 2023 class by both ESPN (No. 65) and the 247Sports Composite (No. 76).

Lew released his final four in late May, including Clemson, Auburn, Georgia and Miami, and announced that he would be taking official visits to all four of those schools in June. The 6-foot-4, 285-pounder was a first-team All-State performer last season and lists around two dozen scholarship offers, including offers from schools such as Georgia, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, NC State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

In addition to Clemson, Anderson has also set official visits to North Carolina (June 8-10), LSU (June 17-19) and South Carolina (June 24-26). Those three schools, along with Clemson, comprise the top-four schools list that Anderson released on April 30. The 6-6, 303-pounder has made numerous trips to Tiger Town since receiving an offer from Clemson back in September 2021.

Owens, who was most recently on campus to watch Clemson’s first scrimmage of the spring at Memorial Stadium on Wednesday, March 30, indicated to TCI after making visits to Clemson and Florida State this spring that the two schools were No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in his recruitment. Owens, ranked as the nation’s No. 8 offensive tackle and No. 66 overall prospect in the 2023 class by 247Sports, received an offer from Clemson while on campus for Clemson’s Elite Visit Day in early March.

Reed has been on Clemson’s campus once before, when he made an unofficial visit in conjunction with the April 9 spring game and picked up an offer from the Tigers. The nation’s No. 22 offensive tackle in the 2023 class per 247Sports, Reed has also set official visits to Wisconsin (June 10-12), Oklahoma State (June 14-16) and Texas (June 24-26), while he will make an unofficial visit to Alabama from June 17-19. The 6-foot-6, 310-pounder is planning to make his commitment in mid-August, right before the start of his senior season.

Defensive Linemen 

Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson five-star Peter Woods, Rome (Ga.) four-star Stephiylan Green, Thomaston (Ga.) Upson-Lee four-star T.J. Searcy, Atlanta (Ga.) Woodward Academy four-star A.J. Hoffler, Trussville (Ala.) Hewitt-Trussville four-star Hunter Osborne, Highland Home (Ala.) four-star Keldric Faulk, Columbus (Ga.) Carver four-star Darron Reed 

Woods (6-4, 265) is rated as a five-star prospect by ESPN and the 247Sports Composite. He is ranked as the No. 1 defensive tackle and No. 9 overall prospect in the 2023 class by ESPN, while the composite rankings tab him as the No. 3 defensive lineman and No. 27 overall prospect in his class. In late March, Woods announced a final-four-schools list featuring Clemson along with Alabama, Florida and Oklahoma. Jackson State recently offered Woods, and he is legitimately considering that school as well. The Tigers extended an offer to Woods back on June 1, 2021, and he most recently visited Clemson this past January for the Tigers’ elite junior day. Woods also made a couple of visits to Clemson last season for the Boston College and Florida State games in October.

Green is ranked as high as the No. 7 defensive tackle and No. 188 overall prospect in the 2023 class by Rivals. In late April, he announced a top six comprised of Clemson, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State. The 6-foot-4, 275-pounder made an unofficial visit to Clemson in early March. The Tigers have not yet offered.

Searcy (6-5, 250) thoroughly enjoyed his first visit to Clemson’s campus on March 5, when he collected an offer from the Tigers. “It feels amazing to have an offer from Clemson because of how good of a program they are,” he told TCI after the visit. A good run-stopper, who uses his length and size to his advantage, Searcy is the No. 185 overall prospect in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports.

Hoffler (6-5, 245), who also picked up an offer from Clemson during his March 5 visit, returned to Tiger Town last month. While Ohio State was once the leader in the clubhouse, Hoffler indicated to TCI recently that Clemson has since closed that perceived gap going into this weekend’s official visit. “I think Clemson has done a really good job, as far as recruiting me,” Hoffler said. “I would say that they have closed the gap.”

Osborne (6-3, 250) released his final six schools on May 13, including Clemson, Alabama, Auburn, Texas, LSU and Tennessee on his shortlist. He likewise visited Clemson on March 5 and came away from the visit blown away by everything Clemson had to offer. The Tigers extended an offer to Osborne, who lists more than four dozen total offers, during the visit.

Faulk received an offer from Clemson in January and then attended the Tigers’ elite junior day later that month. The 6-foot-6, 248-pounder is ranked as high as the No. 5 weakside defensive end and No. 92 overall prospect in the 2023 class by Rivals. His offer list includes Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas, Tennessee and many others.

Last month, Reed (6-4, 270) released a list of his top schools which included Auburn, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Ohio State and Texas A&M. While Clemson did not appear in his top group, Reed confirmed to TCI that Clemson is still in the running for him, as he said the Tigers were accidentally left off the top-schools graphic.

“It was just an accident we didn’t put them on the edit,” Reed explained. “I talked to Coach about that, and we’re still locked in the 3rd through the 5th for the official.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” he added of the official visit. “I’m very excited for it.”

Reed was also on campus at Clemson earlier this year for the program’s elite junior day Jan. 29.

Edge Rushers 

Washington (D.C.) St. John’s four-star David Ojiegbe (committed) and Austin (Texas) Westlake four-star Colton Vasek 

Following his visit to Clemson for the April 9 spring game, Ojiegbe committed to the Tigers on April 27, choosing them over schools like Maryland, Miami, Michigan and North Carolina.

Ojiegbe — the No. 20 edge defender and No. 167 overall prospect in the 2023 class, per 247Sports — felt very good about Clemson after he visited for the program’s second junior day of the year on March 5, when he received his Clemson offer, and explained to TCI why he chose the Tigers.

“Faith, family and football,” Ojiegbe said, “and the family vibes I’ve already felt them…They’re gonna make me a better man and a better football player. They’re gonna develop me in everything, every aspect of life at the next level, whether that’s going to the league or into the workforce.”

Vasek — a former teammate of Clemson freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik — was on Clemson’s campus on March 14 for an unofficial visit and subsequently left town with a scholarship offer in hand.

“It was absolutely…I loved it up there,” Vasek told TCI. “It impressed me a ton, just seeing the campus, the facilities, meeting all the coaches and seeing what Clemson really had to offer. I really loved my time up there.”

“I would go as far as saying that this is probably my favorite visit I’ve been on out of all the schools I’ve visited so far,” he added.

On Thursday, Vasek released a top five featuring Clemson along with Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech.

The rising senior is rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals and the 247Sports Composite, the latter of which ranks him as the No. 27 edge rusher and No. 284 overall prospect in the 2023 class.

Linebackers

Fairfax (Va.) four-star LB Tony Rojas, Demark (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star LB Dee Crayton, Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.) four-star LB Jamal Anderson and Tampa (Fla.) Catholic four-star LB Lewis Carter

Rojas earned an offer from Clemson when he first visited for the program’s junior day on March 5 and returned in April for a spring practice visit. In April, he dropped a final four that featured Clemson, Georgia, Penn State and Miami. Rojas (6-3, 200) is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the state of Virginia, No. 12 outside linebacker and No. 210 overall prospect in the 2023 class by Rivals.

Crayton earned an offer from the Tigers back in February and has since maintained that Clemson is a top school in his recruitment. That rang true when he included Clemson in a top schools list that also featured Auburn, Mizzou, Penn State and UCF.

“Definitely, something that comes right to mind is my relationship with Coach Wes (Goodwin),” Crayton told TCI when asked why he included Clemson among his top schools. “He actually came to my practice. He’s always just recruiting me hard. We talk every day — he makes sure he calls me and we chat it up whether it’s for five minutes or 15 — we’re always just talking.

“Just being able to see myself in the defense and my head coach (Mike Palmieri) actually coached Trenton (Simpson),” Crayton continued. “He’s kind of aligned with Clemson in coaching linebackers. (Coach Goodwin) is coaching Trenton now, so that’s pretty cool seeing him develop and that possibly being me.”

Rivals considers Crayton to be the No. 9 linebacker and the nation’s No. 130 overall prospect in the class of 2023.

Anderson (6-4, 200) is the son of former Utah and Atlanta Falcons All-Pro running back Jamal Anderson, Sr. The younger Anderson received an offer from Clemson while on campus on March 12. He is ranked as high as the No. 10 outside linebacker and No. 123 overall prospect in the 2023 class by ESPN.

Clemson offered Carter back in December 2021 when Brent Venables was still the Tigers’ defensive coordinator. Carter (6-0, 205) is ranked as high as the No. 116 overall prospect in the 2023 class by 247Sports, which considers him the No. 8 linebacker in the country for his class.

Cornerbacks

American Heritage (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) four-star CB Damari Brown and St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star CB Branden Strozier (committed)

Clemson offered Brown back in January. He dropped his final six schools on Thursday, featuring Clemson, Miami, LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama and Florida State.

Strozier committed to the Tigers on May 20, choosing Clemson over Alabama and Tennessee.

It all came down to the fact of what school is gonna help bring me the best version of myself, whether it’s on the field or off the field,” Strozier said. “I felt like Clemson was the best fit for me and that I’ll be able to thrive in their program.”

What was it about Clemson’s recruiting pitch that resonated with Strozier the most?

“Really just the coaching stability there,” he said. “You know people say, ‘Don’t go to school because of the coach,’ but you have to choose a school with the right coach that’s going to be able to develop you. And at Clemson, their coaching staff doesn’t change a whole lot. So, being able to have a stable coaching staff is just really great.”

Safeties

Summer High (Riverview, Fla.) three-star ATH Kylen Webb and Crisp County (Cordele, Ga.) three-star S Ahmad Brown

Clemson offered Webb after he made an unofficial visit to campus on March 17. Webb told TCI recently that he is currently enjoying the recruitment process and plans to make a decision before the fall. He made sure to reiterate that Clemson is one of the top schools in his recruitment. In addition to Clemson, Webb mentioned UCF and Florida State as the schools recruiting him the hardest at the moment.

Brown picked up an offer from Clemson back in April. Brown later visited and told us that Clemson is at the top of his standings in his recruitment.

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4-star defensive ends pick up Clemson offers on visit

Multiple defensive linemen in the 2023 class picked up Clemson offers on Saturday while on campus for the Tigers’ “spring elite day”, their second junior day of the year. Four-star defensive ends Hunter Osborne, TJ Searcy and AJ Hoffler all …

Multiple defensive linemen in the 2023 class picked up Clemson offers on Saturday while on campus for the Tigers’ “spring elite day”, their second junior day of the year.

Four-star defensive ends Hunter Osborne, TJ Searcy and AJ Hoffler all announced offers from the Tigers.

Osborne (6-4, 260), from Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville, Ala.), is ranked as the No. 13 defensive lineman and No. 113 overall prospect in the 2023 class by 247Sports.

Searcy (6-5, 250), from Upson-Lee (Thomaston, Ga.), is ranked as the No. 28 defensive lineman and No. 176 overall prospect in the 2023 class by 247Sports, while Hoffler (6-5, 240), from Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.), is ranked as the No. 31 defensive lineman and No. 199 overall prospect in the 2023 class by 247Sports.

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Top talent flocking to Tiger Town for Clemson’s ‘spring elite day’

Clemson is set to host a slew of top prospects today for its second junior day of the year, which the Tigers are dubbing their “spring elite day” for recruits in the class of 2023. Among the headliners expected to be in attendance is Central (Phenix …

Clemson is set to host a slew of top prospects today for its second junior day of the year, which the Tigers are dubbing their “spring elite day” for recruits in the class of 2023.

Among the headliners expected to be in attendance is Central (Phenix City, Ala.) five-star A.J. Harris, the nation’s No. 2 cornerback and No. 17 overall prospect in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder has made multiple trips to Tiger Town and is a priority target for the Tigers. Last September, he released a top seven comprised of Clemson, Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Georgia and Ohio State.

Harris will be joined on campus by a host of other talented defensive backs, including Harris’ teammate at Central, cornerback Quintavious Billingsley; Lake Mary (Fla.) four-star cornerback Braedan Marshall; Eagles Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) three-star cornerback Colton Hood; Daniel (Central, S.C.) cornerback Misun Kelley; North Oconee (Bogart, Ga.) cornerback Khalil Barnes; Loachapoka (Auburn, Ala.) cornerback Jacorious Hart; Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.) three-star safety Robert Billings; and A.C. Reynolds (Asheville, N.C.) safety Dashawn Stone.

Another headliner slated to be on hand for the spring elite day is Oceanside Collegiate Academy (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) four-star offensive lineman Monroe Freeling.

It will mark his first visit to Clemson since attending the Florida State game in late October of last year. He was also on campus last June to participate in the Dabo Swinney Camp, after which he picked up an offer from the Tigers.

Freeling said during a recent interview with The Clemson Insider that the Tigers “stand highly” in his recruitment heading into today’s visit.

“I really loved the culture there when I first went up and I’ve been maintaining a good relationship with (offensive line) coach (Thomas) Austin,” he said, “and I’m just looking forward to growing it some more when I get out there.”

Along with Clemson, which is heavily pursuing Freeling, he named Miami and Notre Dame as a couple of schools that have been recruiting him the hardest.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Freeling is the No. 1 prospect in South Carolina, No. 9 offensive tackle nationally and No. 82 overall prospect for the 2023 class.

South Point (Belmont, N.C.) four-star offensive lineman Sullivan Absher will also return to Clemson after picking up an offer from the Tigers in February – an offer that he told TCI he “had been working for, for a very long time.”  He previously traveled to Clemson twice during this past season – first for the Boston College game in October and then for the Wake Forest game in November.

Another big-time offensive lineman will be on campus today as well in Eagles Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) four-star tackle Zechariah Owens.

As for the defensive linemen expected to be among the junior day visitors, there are several prominent prospects, namely St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) four-star David Ojiegbe, Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville, Ala.) four-star Hunter Osborne, Rome (Ga.) four-star Stephiylan Green, Upson-Lee (Thomaston, Ga.) four-star T.J. Searcy and Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star A.J. Hoffler.

A bunch of other standout class of 2023 prospects are on the expected guest list for the spring elite day, as well, including Hickory Ridge (Harrisburg, N.C.) four-star wide receiver Christian Hamilton; Bridgeland (Cypress, Texas) four-star tight end Reid Mikeska; Denmark (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star linebacker Dee Crayton; Fairfax (Va.) four-star linebacker Tony Rojas; F.W. Buchholz (Gainesville, Fla.) three-star wide receiver Creed Whittemore; Maiden (N.C.) High School three-star wide receiver Chris Culliver; Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) three-star athlete Jordan Bass; Sumter (S.C.) athlete Zyeir Gamble; and Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.) running back Jarvis Green.

A few notable 2024 prospects are planning to visit Clemson today, too, in Carrollwood Day (Tampa, Fla.) four-star defensive back Tavoy Feagin, Weddington (Matthews, N.C.) tight end Brooks Mauk and Towers (Decatur, Ga.) wide receiver/cornerback Keshawn Weathers.

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Gators EDGE target discusses his recent offer from Florida

Florida offered four-star prospect A.J. Hoffler on Monday night, and he’s planning a trip to Gainesville sometime this spring.

Florida offered four-star 2023 edge rushing prospect A.J. Hoffler on Monday night following nearly a month of communication with him. He received a visit at his school from outside linebackers coach Mike Peterson back in January, and after getting a chance to see his film, head coach Billy Napier extended the offer.

Hoffler told 247Sports’ Blake Alderman what he sees in Florida.

“I know a good bit about Florida, because they are a really historic program,” Hoffler said. “I can’t say I know too much about them on the defensive side of the ball, because they have been known more for offense the last few years. I like the history they have as a program. I heard they have good academics, facilities, and I like their location. I look forward to know more about the defensive side, more strictly the outside linebacker side because that is what they are recruiting me as. Both coaches I talked to said they like my pass rushing, my moves, my feet, and my physicality.”

The Atlanta (Georgia) Woodward Academy product is the No. 260 player and No. 38 defensive lineman in the 2023 class, but he’s being recruited to Florida as an outside linebacker in its 3-4 defensive scheme.

He’s currently considered an Ohio State lean and is planning to visit Columbus sometime in March. He also has a visit to Clemson set for March 5, but he said he plans to take a trip to Gainesville either the second week of March or the second week of April.

Georgia and Northwestern are also schools on Hoffler’s radar.

Hoffler said he wants to take official visits as soon as possible so that he can make a decision by his birthday on Aug. 9. The Gators will hope they can use that time to sway him.

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