Tag: Alex Taylor

Priority WR target hears from Clemson, looking to visit next month

As the clock struck midnight on Sept. 1, Tyler Grisham was among one of the first coaches to reach out to Alex Taylor. If you follow Clemson football recruiting, it should come as no surprise, but for the four-star receiver out of Greensboro (N.C.) …

As the clock struck midnight on Sept. 1, Tyler Grisham was among one of the first coaches to reach out to Alex Taylor.

If you follow Clemson football recruiting, it should come as no surprise, but for the four-star receiver out of Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley High School, it was a long time coming.

Clemson’s wide receivers coach immediately sent Taylor a graphic. Later Thursday, Grisham made a group chat with Taylor and his family,

“He told me how pumped he is to text me and get me back up there for a game anytime,” Taylor recently told The Clemson Insider. “We don’t always talk about football. He makes sure to ask about me and my family every time we speak. That’s really kind of the family atmosphere that I’m looking for in a college.”

In addition to Clemson, Taylor heard from schools like UNC, N.C. State, Penn State, Maryland, Florida, Virginia Tech, Charlotte, Wake Forest, Liberty and Michigan State. 

“It’s much easier just to text them,” Taylor said of having direct contact with college coaches. “They can send me any game invites just like that. I can communicate with them just like that. Seeing who definitely wants to reach out to me as well, seeing if I’m a priority that way.”

Regarding a potential game-day visit to Clemson, Taylor said that he “definitely” wants to make it for the N.C. State game on Oct. 1. He also wants to take game day visits to Penn State, N.C. State, Virginia Tech and some in-state schools.

Taylor has never experienced a game day at Memorial Stadium before.

“I’ve seen the videos, coming down the hill and stuff,” he said. “They got the new scoreboard. If I go to the N.C. State game, that should be sold out.”

Taylor’s junior season has gotten off to a hot start. He’s looking to score 10 touchdowns this season as one of his personal goals and he already has three scores in two games. 

In Grimsley’s 42-14 win over Clayton (N.C.) on Aug. 19, Taylor totaled two touchdowns, to go along with 87 receiving yards. In Grimsley’s most recent victory, Taylor scored the game-winning touchdown to knock off Reagan (Pfafftown, N.C.) 40-34.

Grimsley had a bye this past Friday, but the priority receiver target’s junior campaign is off to a great start.

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You’ve got mail: TCI answers your recruiting questions

The Clemson Insider has decided to take a relatively old concept and put a new spin on it. As we already introduced on our message board, TCI will field weekly recruiting mailbag questions, which will be answered in an article format. We’ll choose …

The Clemson Insider has decided to take a relatively old concept and put a new spin on it. As we already introduced on our message board, TCI will field weekly recruiting mailbag questions, which will be answered in an article format. We’ll choose questions to answer and provide you with the most relevant information regarding Clemson recruiting.

Without further ado, we took a crack at answering some of your mailbag questions. It should be noted that the questions have been edited for clarity.

Q: Any RB recruiting news? I get the sense we may just let the RB position go this cycle. If so, where are they looking to fill in place of it?

I can assure you that Clemson will likely add a running back in this class, it’s just a matter of when rather than if. As of now in the Rivals top-250, the only remaining uncommitted running back has been crystal balled to Notre Dame as of Thursday afternoon. 

When you head over to 247Sports, three uncommitted running backs are ranked in the top 35 at their position.​​ That includes Fort Lauderdale (Florida) Dillard High’s Christopher Johnson, a one-time Clemson target, who is more than likely Miami-bound and Wichita (Kansas) Heights High’s John Randle II.

We introduced Randle as a name that we’ve heard in some circles in last week’s mailbag. While the four-star running back is ranked as the No. 20 running back in the nation, per the 247Sports composite, you’re looking at a player whose recruitment is still waiting to take off.

I believe Clemson will be looking at uncommitted prospects like the two mentioned above, who are waiting for their recruitments to take off. 

Prospects like Andrew Paul, a one-time Clemson target, who, unfortunately, tore his ACL during his freshman fall camp at the University of Georgia. Before Kirby Smart and Georgia got involved with Paul, as well as others like Notre Dame, Oregon and Michigan, it was CJ Spiller on the sidelines for one of his playoff games, while he was mainly being recruited by programs like TCU and Colorado.

As I said before, Dabo Swinney and his staff are good at identifying talented prospects like Paul, who break out during their senior season and probably don’t get the attention they deserve on the recruiting trail.

Q: With the 2023 class rounding to a close, surely the staff is starting to put some focus on 2024 kids. Any early names you can throw out to keep an eye on?

Was hoping someone would ask this question, so thank you!

I’m not gonna go position by position breakdown, but I’ll throw out some names worth keeping an eye on:

  • Willis (Texas) High five-star QB DJ Lagway
  • Charlotte (North Carolina) Providence Day School five-star QB Jadyn Davis
  • Savannah (Georgia) Cavalry Day School four-star QB Jake Merklinger
  • Kennesaw (Georgia) North Cobb High four-star RB David Eziomume
  • Greensboro (North Carolina) Grimsley High four-star WR Alex Taylor
  • Burlington (North Carolina) Hugh M. Cummings four-star WR Jonathan Paylor
  • Fort Lauderdale (Florida) St. Thomas Aquinas High four-star WR James Madison II
  •  Dorchester (South Carolina) Woodland High four-star OT Kam Pringle
  • Dillon (South Carolina) High four-star OT Josiah Thompson
  • Leesburg (Virginia) Tuscarora High four-star OT Fletcher Westphal
  • Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward’s High four-star OT Ben Roebuck
  • Hiram (Georgia) High three-star OT Jameson Riggs
  • Greenville (South Carolina) High three-star OT Blake Franks
  • Atlanta (Georgia) Pace Academy four-star DL Hevin Brown-Shuler
  • Norcross (Georgia) Meadowcreek High four-star DL Champ Thompson
  • Jefferson (Georgia) High five-star LB Sammy Brown
  • Atlanta (Georgia) Woodward Academy four-star LB Andrew Hines III
  • Olney (Maryland) Our Lady Good Counsel HS four-star LB Aaron Chiles
  • Navarre (Florida) High four-star LB Zavier Hamilton
  • Marietta (Georgia) Walton High four-star LB Wendell Gregory
  • Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) St. Joseph’s Prep School four-star CB Omillio Agard
  • Chesapeake (Virginia) Oscar Smith High four-star CB Assad Brown, Jr.
  • Nashville (Tennessee) Lipscomb Academy four-star CB Kaleb Beasley
  • Tampa (Florida) Carrollwood Day School four-star CB Tavoy Feagin
  • Lagrange (Georgia) Troup County High four-star S Noah Dixon
  • Buford (Georgia) High five-star ATH KJ Bolden
  • Lilburn (Georgia) Parkview High four-star ATH Mike Matthews

Q: Would Clemson take another WR?

I wouldn’t say it’s out of the realm of possibility, but it would be a stretch to say that Clemson is anything more than in the mix with Lakeland (Florida) High’s Tyler Williams, who is set to make his college announcement on Sept. 27. I’d expect that decision to come down to Georgia and Ole Miss, which it seemingly has been for some time now.

Also, the work that Clemson has done on some of the receivers mentioned above like Paylor, Taylor and Madison in the class of 2024, tells me that Tyler Grisham and Co. have now focused their attention on those receivers with Sept. 1 on the horizon.

Anything can happen regarding roster attrition in college football, so I wouldn’t rule it out, but I don’t consider it likely at the moment.

Q: Do we believe Kayden McDonald will become a Clemson Tiger?

I’d maintain that Clemson remains in a good position to land his commitment, but as we’ve come to find out with recruiting, these things are fluid and could certainly change between now and the announcement date of Oct. 31.

McDonald has official visits scheduled to the University of Michigan on Sept. 10 and Ohio State on Sept. 24. He has an official visit scheduled to Clemson on Nov. 26 when the Tigers play host to the University of South Carolina at Memorial Stadium. It’s entirely possible that McDonald, who visited Clemson back in July, could return to Tiger Town for an unofficial visit before he makes his scheduled decision.

Up until this point, McDonald has used only one official visit. He officially visited the University of Florida back in June and it’s rumored that he could be a visitor in Gainesville for the Gators’ season-opener against No. 7 Utah on Sept. 3.

It would be premature to determine this race to be over and we will continue to track McDonald as his recruitment winds down. In any event, we like where Clemson currently stands with him at this moment in time.

— Photo for this article courtesy of @_kmcdonald55 on Instagram.

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Priority Clemson WR target gives the latest on recruitment

This four-star Carolinas wideout has emerged as a priority wide receiver target for Clemson, ever since Tyler Grisham made him the second rising junior at his position to be offered in this cycle. Jonathan Paylor – a 5-foot-9, 170-pound four-star …

This four-star Carolinas wideout has emerged as a priority wide receiver target for Clemson, ever since Tyler Grisham made him the second rising junior at his position to be offered in this cycle.

Jonathan Paylor — a 5-foot-9, 170-pound four-star rising junior out Hugh M. Cummings High School (Burlington, N.C.) — updated his current recruitment and where Clemson currently stands in the mix of things in a phone interview with The Clemson Insider Wednesday.

“Everything’s been going great,” Paylor said. “Everything’s starting to open up. I’m really starting to see what I want and what I need out of schools, so it’s really going good.”

Is there anything in particular that Paylor is looking for in a school at the next level?

“One thing for me is really academics,” he said. “What’s the graduating rate for their players? And really the comfort zone around the coaches, like can I talk to them about personal stuff?”

Speaking of relationships, Paylor went in-depth on his relationship with Tyler Grisham. Paylor said that things have been going great with Clemson’s wide receivers coach. He called him up a couple of days ago and they touched base on a multitude of topics.

“It’s really going great with him,” Paylor said, “and to know that he really cares about me off the field with how work’s been and how my mental health is and everything like that is great. He really wants me to succeed besides football — like what am I doing in the classroom to get better and things like that. But, when it’s time to talk about football, we get straight to it. He knows what he wants and I know what I want as a receiver and a running back also. For him to connect on that level with me two, besides football, that’s great.”

With Paylor being one of two receivers to be offered in this class — the other being Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley High School’s four-star Alex Taylor — Grisham has made it quite apparent that he’s a priority for Clemson in the 2024 recruiting class.

“They made it damn clear that they need the type of player like me because they’re used to getting big, tall receivers,” Paylor said. “But, they need a short receiver like me, where I can really get out and explore and get special packages. They need the type of player like me and Alex, just to really get in space and make a play.”

Paylor spoke highly of Taylor, who he described as “his guy.” They’ve been talking regularly and have even touched on the topic of playing with each other at the next level. Paylor feels like their games definitely complement one another and he mentioned that the two have deep conversations about how they could be a dynamic receiver duo.

As Clemson’s wide receivers coach recruits both Tar Heel State receivers heavily, Paylor, who estimated that he speaks to Grisham around once or twice a week, expects that to ramp up once Sept. 1 rolls around. 

In addition to Clemson and the University of Tennessee, which Paylor unofficially visited last weekend, he mentioned schools like UNC, N.C. State and South Carolina as the ones that he’s been in contact with the most up until this point in his process.

Paylor is looking to take game day visits this upcoming season to those five schools, as well as Georgia and West Virginia.

“Really everything,” Paylor said when asked what he’ll be looking for during these upcoming game day visits. “I’ll even be looking to see what’s the response from players after the play, to see if they get good coaching. Can they maintain their composure after a bad play? Or even down to like if they run a tempo offense, if they spread the ball a lot. Are the fans engaged with the players and everything? I’ll go really in detail into everything.”

Paylor currently ranks as the No. 4 athlete and the nation’s No. 18 overall prospect regardless of position in the 2024 class, per 247Sports.

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4-star priority receiver target talks relationship with Grisham, goes in-depth with recruitment

This four-star Carolinas wideout has emerged as a priority wide receiver target for Clemson, ever since Tyler Grisham made him the first rising junior at his position to be offered in this cycle. Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley High School’s Alex Taylor, …

This four-star Carolinas wideout has emerged as a priority wide receiver target for Clemson, ever since Tyler Grisham made him the first rising junior at his position to be offered in this cycle.

Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley High School’s Alex Taylor, who currently ranks as the nation’s No. 28 receiver in his class, per 247Sports, updated his current recruitment and where Clemson currently stands in the mix of things in a phone interview with The Clemson Insider last week.

“After I got offered, I’ve really just been talking to Coach Grisham more frequently, like every week,” Taylor said. “I’m ready for Sept. 1, so I can talk to him more than two times a week. I was the first 2024 (wide receiver) offer and I was super excited about that, so I know he thinks highly of me.”

Taylor said that his relationship with Clemson’s wide receivers coach has “definitely been getting stronger” throughout these past couple of weeks. He also admitted that he talks to Grisham more than really any other coach. 

“That’s super exciting, learning and talking with him as well and trying to get back up there in the fall,” Taylor said.”

He’s planning on catching at least one game at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season.

When asked what stood out about Clemson’s recruiting approach thus far, he made sure to mention how frequently he has been talking to the Tigers, even as a rising junior. He still has a lot of time left in his recruitment but acknowledged that he also talks to Clemson more than any other school.

“Right now, they’re just talking about family — things like that — real-life situations and stuff,” he said. “We haven’t really talked that much about football. That’s a thing too, not everything just has to be about football as well.”

Taylor is obviously appreciative and receptive to that.

He recently had a chance to talk to some different coaches on Clemson’s offensive coaching staff, including offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter and running backs coach CJ Spiller. Taylor has been getting more into it with the whole coaching staff and learning more about the Clemson program as a whole.

That proves to Taylor that he’s a priority for Clemson.

In addition to Clemson, Taylor mentions North Carolina, N.C. State, West Virginia and Duke, as the schools he’s been hearing from the most at the moment. He had the chance to visit Virginia Tech earlier this week and recently picked up an offer from Mizzou as well.

Taylor is really looking forward to when Sept. 1 rolls around, to see if any new schools start hitting him up, especially when a bunch of new coaches followed him on Twitter and stopped by his high school during the live evaluation period.

Grimsley was on a dead period until Tuesday, July 19, so now the Carolinas wideout is back in the swing of things and preparing for his upcoming junior season.

“It’s been really good right now,” Taylor when asked how everything’s been this summer. “Just been training, working on trying to get my speed up more, working on route running and just fixing up things before the season.”

Taylor said that Grimsley has a lot to prove because they were upset really in the playoffs really early the season before. Between him and three-star wide receiver Terrell Anderson, who holds offers from programs like Michigan, Virginia and UNC Charlotte, Grimsley has a chance to not only have one of the best receiver duos in the Tar Heel State but the nation as well.

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The Insider Report: Latest on remaining 2023 targets, updates on top 2024 prospects

It’s time for this week’s edition of The Insider Report. We hope everyone had a great weekend. The latest on remaining class of 2023 targets As it stands on Monday, July 18, Clemson’s top remaining targets in the class of 2023 remain as follows: …

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

We hope everyone had a great weekend.

The latest on remaining class of 2023 targets

As it stands on Monday, July 18, Clemson’s top remaining targets in the class of 2023 remain as follows: Milton High School (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star safety Robert Billings, Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) four-star defensive end Hunter Osborne and Buckingham Browne & Nichols School (Cambridge, MA.) four-star wide receiver Ronan Hanafin.

The Clemson Insider established as such when we took a look at what’s next for Clemson in the 2023 recruiting class. As Billings told us over a week ago now, the expectation is that he will be in attendance for the program’s annual July cookout come next weekend.

Right now, Billings figures to be the only uncommitted prospect that will be on campus, but that hasn’t stopped Clemson from pushing for Osborne and Hanafin to be among next weekend’s turnout.

As for Hanafin, TCI was told by a source not to count out Clemson’s chances with the Massachusetts native, even though he has been considered a Notre Dame lean for quite some time now. Another source informed TCI that Clemson is currently trending for Hanafin, but it would be premature to divulge that the Tigers have unseated Notre Dame as the long-standing favorite to land his commitment.

Clemson currently stands well with Osborne and those familiar with his recruitment like the Tigers’ chances at landing him. However, there has been no indication that he’ll be attending next weekend’s cookout or that he’ll be making an announcement regarding his recruitment anytime soon.

In any event, things remain fluid as Dabo Swinney and staff look to fill out their remaining open scholarships for the class of 2023.

Elite Buckeye State signal caller planning Clemson gameday visit

One of the nation’s top signal callers in the class of 2025 recently spoke with a Clemson assistant coach. Findlay (Oh.) 2025 QB Ryan Montgomery spoke with Brandon Streeter on Friday and we were told that the call went great.

While Streeter was on vacation when Montgomery was on campus for an unofficial visit on June 18, Clemson’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach spoke at length with the prized Buckeye State quarterback prospect this past week.

Right now, Montgomery is looking at either Louisville (11/12) or Miami (11/19) for a game day visit at Memorial Stadium this fall.

An update on 5-star Clemson QB target

The Clemson Insider spoke with Willis (Texas) five-star quarterback DJ Lagway ahead of this week’s edition of The Insider Report. Lagway, who is considered to be the apple of Clemson’s eye in the class of 2024, gave the latest on his recruitment and updated his interest in the Tigers at this time.

Lagway has recently had a chance to speak both with Brandon Streeter and Dabo Swinney. According to Lagway, Clemson’s coaching staff has been telling him that he’s their top target in the 2024 recruiting class and that they’re really excited about him and his future.

“I have a real good relationship with those two coaches,” Lagway said. “I talk to Coach Streeter a lot, at least once a week. I try to get on the phone every couple of weeks with Coach Swinney. I talk to them a good amount. I have good conversations with them. We have a good relationship and I’m excited to keep building on it.”

He spoke with Clemson’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks last week. While Lagway is Clemson’s top target, the conversations have shifted away from football and have focused more on life, family and the human aspect of things.

“That’s a huge factor,” Lagway said. “Outside of football, you’ll be around these people for like three-to-four years at a time, so you got to be able to be comfortable on and off the field with them.” 

Is there anything about Clemson and its recruiting philosophy that’s stood out to Lagway?

“Really just the family atmosphere is different than all the other schools,” he explained. “That kind of the vibe, the Christian-based atmosphere, that makes Clemson stand out from the rest.”

Lagway is unsure when he’ll visit Clemson next, but said that he’ll “definitely visit” for a game at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. He doesn’t have any games circled, but he’ll workout a date with Streeter eventually.

Lagway will be getting his miles in this fall, as he also plans on taking gameday visits to Texas A&M, Florida, Southern Cal and LSU.

Rising junior receiver target gives the latest

In addition to Lagway, TCI also caught up with Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.) four-star wide receiver Alex Taylor on Monday. Taylor, who was the first rising junior WR that Tyler Grisham offered in this cycle, updated his current recruitment and where Clemson currently stands in the mix of things.

“After I got offered, I’ve really just been talking to Coach Grisham more frequently, like every week,” Taylor said. “I’m ready for Sept. 1, so I can talk to him more than two times a week. I was the first 2024 (wide receiver) offer and I was super excited about that, so I know he thinks highly of me.”

Taylor said that his relationship with Clemson’s wide receivers coach has “definitely been getting stronger” throughout these past couple of weeks. He also admitted that he talks to Grisham more than really any other coach. 

When asked what stood out about Clemson’s recruiting approach thus far, he made sure to mention how frequently he has been talking to the Tigers, even as a rising junior. He still has a lot of time left in his recruitment, but acknowledged that he also talks to Clemson more than any other school.

This past week, Taylor had a chance to talk to some different coaches on Clemson’s offensive coaching staff, including Streeter and running backs coach CJ Spiller. Taylor has been getting more into it with the whole coaching staff and learning more about Clemson as a whole.

That proves to Taylor that he’s a priority for Clemson.

With that, he’s planning on catching at least one game at Memorial Stadium this fall.

— Photo for this article courtesy of derek.lagway on Instagram.

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Clemson ‘at the top’ for 4-star WR after ‘amazing’ offer

A funny coincidence helped pave the way for Clemson’s latest wide receiver offer being announced Saturday. Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.) four-star wide receiver Alex Taylor reported an offer from the Tigers via social media on Saturday morning. It’s …

A funny coincidence helped pave the way for Clemson’s latest wide receiver offer being announced Saturday.

Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.) four-star wide receiver Alex Taylor reported an offer from the Tigers via social media on Saturday morning. It’s Taylor’s birthday, so Clemson coach Dabo Swinney made an exception. and gave him permission to post the offer early.

It also happens to be Tyler Grisham’s birthday.

Clemson wasn’t expected to hand out its offers to receiver prospects in the class of 2024 until Monday, June 13.

“It’s amazing to me,” Taylor told The Clemson Insider regarding receiving an offer from Clemson. “Clemson being such a prestigious school, sending receivers to the draft and stuff, it’s big to me with me trying to make it to the league as well. And, I’ve been talking with Coach Grisham lately too. I really like that offer.”

Now that Taylor has an offer from the Tigers in hand, where do they currently stand in his recruitment?

“They definitely have to be at the top, just them being Clemson and them being one of the first schools to offer me as well,” he said.

Taylor feels that he certainly proved himself as worthy of an offer after assessing his performance during last week’s Swinney Camp. It’s clear that Clemson’s wide receivers coach and Swinney felt the same way.

“I talked to him before,” Taylor said. “He said getting to the camp and seeing me in person could kind of play a role in me getting offered. Me going there, doing good on the 1-on-1s and the camp part, that really kind of pushed the offer.”

After camping at Clemson on June 2, the only other camp date that Taylor has scheduled is the Carolina Showtime Camp on June 18. Taylor said that he’s also looking to visit both N.C. State and West Virginia in July.

Taylor (6-3, 175)  ranks as high as the No. 28 wide receiver and the nation’s No. 145 overall prospect in his class regardless of position, per 247Sports.

The Insider Report: Latest on a top Texas QB, elite OL, nation’s No. 1 LB & more

It’s time for this week’s edition of The Insider Report. We hope everyone had a great weekend. Lone Star State gunslinger getting a lot of attention from Tigers After Dylan Raiola committed to Ohio State last week, Clemson’s quarterback recruiting …

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

We hope everyone had a great weekend.

Lone Star State gunslinger getting a lot of attention from Tigers

After Dylan Raiola committed to Ohio State last week, Clemson’s quarterback recruiting board has started to take shape. It’s reasonable to assume that Clemson has since shifted its focus to Willis (Texas) four-star DJ Lagway.

Of course, the Tigers have shown or expressed interest in other 2024 QB prospects like Jadyn Davis, Dante Reno, Daniel Kaelin, James Resar and Jake Merklinger — to name a few — but the attention has begun to shift in Lagway’s direction.

We first identified Lagway as a potential target for Clemson dating back to February. Since then, he made a largely anticipated unofficial visit to campus, while Clemson offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter has now made multiple trips to see the Lone Star State gunslinger in the month of May alone.

“They want me to get up there this summer and camp and stuff like that,” Lagway recently told The Clemson Insider. “Coach Streeter came out to one of my spring practices. He said he was very impressed. I’ve been talking to Coach (Dabo) Swinney a lot, almost two times a week. We talk a lot, me and Coach Swinney.”

The fact that Lagway gets to talk pretty frequently with Clemson’s head coach isn’t something he takes lightly. Lagway told us that he feels like the Tigers have made him a priority in their 2024 recruiting class and that he’s one of their top guys in their class.

“That shows that they’re very interested in me and that they’re very high on my list,” he said, “because the interest level has been there from the beginning. That’s a big part in my recruitment.”

Lagway indicated that a scholarship offer from Clemson could come when he visits campus next month. He’s had those conversations about a potential offer dating back to when he visited last month.

“That was a conversation we had from the very beginning since I got there when I got down there on campus when I went to Coach Swinney’s house,” Lagway said. “It’s just the way they run things, they just want to keep the process smooth and keep the way they’ve been doing things.”

“That would be huge,” he continued. “That would be a blessing to have an offer from Clemson and all that good stuff. It would change a lot with my top five.”

Some names to know ahead of Swinney Camp

TCI wanted to pass along some names that we’re tracking ahead of next month’s Dabo Swinney Camp.

While we’ll introduce some new information about some other rising juniors like Kam Pringle and Sammy Brown in this week’s edition of the Insider Report, the names that follow are important ones to know when Clemson starts dishing out offers come June 1.

Those names include — St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) four-star wide receiver Chance Robinson, Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.) four-star WR Alex Taylor and Webb School of Knoxville (Tenn.) four-star athlete Markeis Barrett.

While Robinson hasn’t talked to anyone from Clemson, the Tigers reached out to his head coach and sent him a message saying that they want him to come up and do a workout with them.

Clemson wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham also followed him on Twitter not too long ago.

Robinson said that he’ll likely camp at Clemson next month and show them what he’s capable of. Robinson (6-1, 180) ranks as the No. 12 wide receiver and the nation’s No. 76 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, per the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

As for Taylor, he’s kept in pretty consistent contact with Grisham since he unofficially visited Clemson back in March. Taylor is unsure when he’ll return to Clemson, but he’s been chatting with Clemson’s receivers coach about returning for camp this summer. While nothing is set in stone, June 11 is certainly a date worth keeping in mind.

Rivals considers Taylor (6-3, 175) as the No. 33 receiver and the No. 204 overall prospect nationally in the class of 2024.

Last but certainly not least is Barrett, who told us that Clemson wants him to come up for camp this summer, as the Tigers have talked multiple times with his coaches.

“They want me to come down, so they can show me around their facilities and also their campus,” Barrett said. “I am also going to camp there (this summer). From what my coaches told me, is that they want to build a good relationship with me throughout their recruiting process with me and also they want me to come down as much as I can.”

Barrett (6-1, 170) ranks as the No. 33 athlete and No. 3 prospect in the state of Tennessee for his class.

Fast-rising Alabama receiver planning to camp at Clemson

A fast-rising wide receiver from the state of Alabama is planning to visit Clemson in June, in hopes that he can earn an offer from the Tigers.

“I’m going to camp either June 1st or 2nd and see if I pull the offer,” Dozier told The Clemson Insider via text message.

Moody (Ala.) 2023 three-star Davion Dozier is in constant contact with Grisham and is focusing on building a relationship with Clemson’s wide receivers coach.

Clemson’s history at the receiver position is intriguing to Dozier, who describes himself as a big target, who can go up and get the ball and make all the necessary plays.

“He told me that he loves everything,” Dozier said of Grisham. “He told me that he’s been keeping track since my sophomore year. That’s when he first started and he told me that I’m getting bigger and better.”

The latest on Clemson and nation’s No. 1 LB

TCI recently checked back in with the nation’s top-ranked linebacker in the 2024 class to get an update on his recruitment and where things stand with Clemson.

Jefferson (Ga.) five-star Sammy Brown – the No. 1 linebacker in his class, per multiple recruiting services – is one of just two prospects in his class to have earned an offer from the Tigers to date.

Brown (6-2, 220) picked up the offer while on a March 12 visit to Clemson, then returned to campus on April 6 to take in the Tigers’ final spring practice prior to the April 9 spring game.

After the aforementioned practice, Brown had dinner with defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Wes Goodwin, and the two continue to stay in touch every week or so through Brown’s father, Michael, who is the associate head football coach at Jefferson.

Goodwin and co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Mickey Conn stopped by Jefferson to check in on Brown during the current spring evaluation period and went to one of his weight training periods. Brown told TCI that “it was a pretty big honor” that the coaches came by to see him work out when they could have been anywhere else in the country.

At the time TCI spoke with Brown, he hadn’t been able to sit down and look at his summer schedule, but said Clemson “is a place that we definitely want to get back to this summer.”

Brown, who boasts around two dozen offers, cited Clemson as one of the schools recruiting him the hardest at this point in the process along with Georgia, Oklahoma and Ohio State.

As for where Clemson currently stands with the coveted linebacker, Brown said he really likes Clemson, its culture and “what they’re doing and have done.”

“It’s one of the more elite colleges in football right now,” he added.

Update on elite 2024 OL Kam Pringle

TCI also recently caught up with another elite prospect in the 2024 class – Woodland High School (Dorchester, S.C.) four-star offensive lineman Kam Pringle, who is ranked as the No. 2 offensive tackle in the country for his class according to both Rivals and the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Clemson stopped by Pringle’s school earlier this year, and he has been communicating periodically with offensive line coach Thomas Austin, who told Pringle that he’s making plans to travel to Woodland and see Pringle at some point during his team’s spring practices that are getting underway this week.

Pringle (6-7, 315) told TCI that his relationship with Austin has “been growing” and he appreciates the transparency that Austin has with him during their conversations.

“Every time we talk, he tries to make sure I feel as if he’s keeping it real and not changing how things are or portraying it to be something else,” Pringle said. “So, he tries to be straightforward and as transparent as possible.”

Pringle most recently visited Clemson on March 12 and said that while he doubts he’ll compete at the Dabo Swinney Camp again in June (he camped last summer), he’ll likely return to campus for another visit this summer.

Pringle, who has picked up around two dozen offers, named Auburn, Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio State, Michigan State and Florida as some of the schools he feels are coming after him the hardest right now.

As of now, Pringle said, he expects to be committed to a school before his senior year and is thinking he’ll make a decision in January or sometime at the beginning of 2023.

Clemson hasn’t yet offered Pringle, or any other offensive lineman in the 2024 class for that matter, but Pringle told us the Tigers are “definitely” one of his top 10 schools right now.

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4-star N.C. receiver has ‘really good’ Clemson visit; looking forward to building bond with Grisham

The Clemson Insider caught up with a talented North Carolina wideout, who was on campus two weekends ago. Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.) four-star Alex Taylor – a 6-foot-3, 175-pound sophomore in the class of 2024 – was at Clemson for an unofficial …

The Clemson Insider caught up with a talented North Carolina wideout, who was on campus two weekends ago.

Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.) four-star Alex Taylor — a  6-foot-3, 175-pound sophomore in the class of 2024 – was at Clemson for an unofficial visit on Saturday, March 12.

“It was really good,” he said. “I really liked it a lot. I’d definitely say the receiver meeting with Coach Grisham was my favorite part of the visit. He was talking about their receivers in the past compared to other teams and the schemes they run. It was nice seeing how they compare against other big-time colleges.”

“They’re a more prestigious college, so I already knew it was going to be big,” he continued. “I liked the receivers a lot, the coaching staff. They have like 27 former players on the coaching staff. That’s really nice seeing just different players from the past teaching you.”

Prior to his visit, Taylor had been on two phone calls with Tyler Grisham. Clemson’s receivers coach has also spoken plenty with Taylor’s head coach at Grimsley as well. Grisham indicated that he would like to come up to Greensboro (N.C.) and see some of their games this year.

“It was very nice, especially meeting him in person,” Taylor said. “Building a better bond. He ate with us and so did his wife and the rest of his family. So just building a better relationship, trying to get closer to Coach Grisham and Clemson.”

While on his visit, Taylor was able to take in spring practice. He liked how Grisham ran his practices and is definitely a fan of how different the speed is at the college level, how hard the hits are and some big-time catches from Clemson’s receivers.

“I would say (the visit) is definitely up there,” he said. “Seeing how they do things there, how Coach Swinney pushes that you have to graduate. He’s gonna keep calling you, even after you leave early. He’s gonna keep calling you and telling you gotta get that degree.”

What was the message Taylor received from the coaching staff while he was on campus?

“They’re more looking at the junior class right now, the class that’s about to come in and how many guys they’ve offered from that class,” Taylor said. “Talking about some big-time ’23s that came in that they didn’t offer, so they’re trying to build a relationship. They’re also building a relationship with the ’24s they have coming up.”

Taylor is aware that Clemson doesn’t offer rising juniors until June 1. With that being said, an offer from the Tigers would mean so much more to him when considering his hometown and the players that have gone on to play at Clemson.

“It would mean a lot,” he said. “Seeing Diondre Overton — from Page — from my hometown, he went there. Now he’s playing in the XFL. Payton Page from Dudley, he’s playing there too. It would be really nice for our city and for me.”

Getting a better feel for Taylor and his game, he had about 600 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 10 games. He missed around four games this past season due to injury. While he wasn’t able to get a full season under his belt, Taylor’s trying to push more speed this year, breaking more tackles to show on his film.

“I’d definitely say I block very well,” Taylor said when asked to describe himself as a player, “if you want to run behind me and get some extra yards. I make 50/50 balls more 80/20 like a Mike Williams type of guy and my route running is definitely there.”

Rivals considers Taylor as the No. 33 receiver and the No. 204 overall prospect nationally in the class of 2024. He currently holds offers from schools like Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Duke, N.C. State, Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and West Virginia.

Taylor plans on checking out ECU sometime this month, as well as Wake Forest on March 29.

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Browns place OT Alex Taylor on reserve/COVID-19 list

Another one to the reserve/COVID-19 list for the Browns the day after their game:

The Cleveland Browns and the NFL had hoped that they were able to move forward from the COVID-19 related roster problems after adjusting protocols. Instead, hundreds of players have been placed on their teams’ respective reserve/COVID-19 lists over the last week.

The impact for the Browns was huge in back-to-back weeks. The team fell to the Las Vegas Raiders with more starters on the list than playing in Week 15 then lost to the Green Bay Packers with quite a few starters out as well.

The reserve/COVID-19 list continues to change for the team even after their Saturday loss to the Packers. Alex Taylor, signed to the roster to help replace offensive linemen that were on the COVID list, was placed on the list Sunday by the Browns.

With the hope that Jedrick Wills could come off the list soon, Taylor could be waived and brought back to the practice squad when he comes off the list but leaves the team thin on the line until Wills. J.C. Tretter joined the reserve/COVID-19 list late last week and could miss the upcoming game as well.

We will keep you up to date over this holiday weekend for all roster-related news.

Blake Hance not certain to start at right tackle in Week 14 for Browns versus Ravens

Stefanski pressed pause on the assumption Hance would start Sunday but the options, internal or free agent, are pretty limited:

The Cleveland Browns get a quick turnaround in their rematch with the Baltimore Ravens. Fresh off their bye week, the Browns should be as healthy and prepared as possible for the game. Fresh off losing a close game to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where they lost another important player, the Ravens come into the game limping.

Cleveland isn’t totally healthy, although there is a chance they get LB Jacob Phillips back, going into the game either. During the two teams’ matchup in Week 12, right tackle Jack Conklin hurt his knee and was lost for the season.

Blake Hance, as he had done the previous weeks as Conklin was out, stepped in at right tackle and struggled. The Ravens attacked his side of the line regularly and the offense had a hard time getting things moving.

Despite the struggles, expectations were that Hance would start the rest of the year in Conklin’s place. During Monday’s press conference, head coach Kevin Stefanski put a pause on those expectations:

The logical replacement would be rookie James Hudson III but his showing earlier this season was even worse than Hance’s. Alex Taylor is on the team’s practice squad and could be brought up to start for this week as well.

Outside options are highly limited and unlikely. While former Browns tackle Mitchell Schwartz might be healthy enough to play, if the team was going in that direction they would have brought him (or another free agent) in during the bye week.

It is still likely that Hance would assume the role unless the team saw a lot of progression from Hudson. Taylor was cut earlier in the year by Cleveland and bounced around before returning to the practice squad. Elevating him to start in such an important game seems unlikely.

The Browns are currently favorites in Sunday’s rematch.