Vols’ target Brandon Winton returns to Tennessee

Vols’ wide receiver target Brandon Winton returns to Tennessee.

2024 wide receiver prospect Brandon Winton played last season at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

Winton has since enrolled at Alcoa High School in Alcoa, Tennessee. Winton is currently playing basketball for the Tornadoes.

Winton played his first two seasons at Webb School in Knoxville, Tennessee before transferring to IMG Academy.

In 2021, he recorded 42 receptions, 580 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns at Webb.

Winton has scholarship offers from Tennessee, South Carolina, Arkansas, Kansas, Colorado, Florida A&M, Louisville, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh, Penn State, Miami, Nebraska, South Florida and Boston College.

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Big-time WR hoping to hear from Clemson, feels he ‘really connected’ with Grisham

Brandon Winton, Jr. hasn’t had a chance to speak with Tyler Grisham since he camped at Clemson earlier this summer, but the big-time receiver prospect out of Bradenton (Florida) IMG Academy is hoping that the Tigers are among the schools that reach …

Brandon Winton, Jr. hasn’t had a chance to speak with Tyler Grisham since he camped at Clemson earlier this summer, but the big-time receiver prospect out of Bradenton (Florida) IMG Academy is hoping that the Tigers are among the schools that reach out, come next Thursday, Sept. 1.

“Coach Grisham, when I first met him, I felt like we connected real well,” Winton recently told The Clemson Insider in a phone interview. “I liked what he did at camp. He taught me different looks and stuff that I didn’t know, going into the camp. I just like the way he let us go out there and compete.”

“It would definitely mean a lot for him to reach out,” Winton said of Clemson’s wide receivers coach. “I like him and what he’s doing at Clemson. I’m definitely rooting for them to reach out to me on Sept. 1, for sure.”

Since Winton participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp, which was the only place he camped this summer. He later made his way to the University of Miami, where he immediately picked up an offer from coach Mario Cristobal and staff. 

He also added an offer from FAMU — his first HBCU scholarship offer — adding to a list that includes Arkansas, Boston College, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Pitt, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Eastern Kentucky.

It’s no question that Sept. 1 — when college coaches can officially start directly contacting prospects in the class of 2024 — will be big for Winton and his recruitment. He mentions schools like West Virginia, Mississippi State and Florida, as ones that haven’t offered but have shown extensive interest.

He also continues to hear a lot from both Miami and Texas A&M.

After a small school tour, Winton has mainly been focused on getting ready for the season with his IMG teammates. He transferred from the Webb School of Knoxville (Tenn.) back in January, after totaling 580 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in nine games as a sophomore. 

“My goals, really for myself, are to make as many plays that I can,” Winton said. “Show a lot of off-the-ball plays like when I don’t have the ball in my hands, making plays for my other teammates — really downfield blocking.”

Playing a national schedule makes gameday visits more difficult, but Winton would like to try to schedule some after he gets in contact with some coaches around the country come next Thursday.

Winton, who visited Clemson for the Florida State game last year, would consider visiting Memorial Stadium again this fall.

“Most definitely,” he said. “If they reach out to me on Sept. 1, I’m definitely gonna get back up there.”

Photo by Dawson Powers // The Clemson Insider

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Rising Volunteer state athlete hoping to earn an offer from ‘dream school’ Clemson

Among the standout wide receivers who had the chance to showcase their talent on the second day of Dabo Swinney on June 2 was Brandon Winton, Jr. – a 6-foot-1, 195-pound three-star rising junior from Bradenton’s (Fla.) IMG Academy. Winton recently …

Among the standout wide receivers who had the chance to showcase their talent on the second day of Dabo Swinney on June 2 was Brandon Winton, Jr. — a 6-foot-1, 195-pound three-star rising junior from Bradenton’s (Fla.) IMG Academy.

Winton recently transferred from the Webb School of Knoxville in Tenneseee.

He arrived back on campus to work out for Tyler Grisham and potentially put himself in a position to earn an offer from the Tigers. Winton made a game-day visit last season and was in attendance for Clemson’s 30-20 win over Florida State on Oct. 30, 2021.

Earlier this month gave Winton an opportunity to see everything Clemson had to offer. His favorite part, though, was getting to try on Clemson’s jerseys for a photoshoot, which he said looked good on him

What type of feedback did Winton get from Grisham during Swinney Camp?

“He let me know that he knew I was good, but when he saw me in person, I was a lot better,” Winton said. “I basically moved up on his depth chart from coming to camp and letting him see me.”

At the time of our conversation with Winton, Clemson had yet to offer any class of 2024 wide receivers. The Tigers have since offered both Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.) four-star Alex Taylor and Cummings (Burlington, N.C.) four-star Jonathan Paylor

“That would definitely mean a lot to me,” Winston said regarding a potential offer from a school like Clemson. “Clemson, that’s my dream school. That would mean a lot to me. I probably wouldn’t make a decision right off (that offer), but it definitely would mean a lot to me.”

Even without an offer, Winton told us that the Tigers “definitely stand real high” in his recruitment. That certainly speaks to his relationship with Grisham, who he had been in contact with all throughout the spring.

“He’s real good,” Winton said of Clemson’s wide receivers coach. “I love Coach Grisham as a coach, but he’s way better as a person. He’s a young coach, but he knows the game and he knows what he’s talking about. That’s what I like about him.”

Winton felt like he was able to take a lot away from working with both Grisham and Dabo Swinney. According to him, they both gave him a lot of pointers and helped him improve his starting stance. 

Swinney being hands-on with campers certainly stood out to Winton.

“It definitely showed me that he’s really into it with his players,” he said of Clemson’s head coach. “Being a receiver himself, he knows what he’s talking about at my position. That’s what I really liked.”

As far as the rest of his recruitment is concerned, Winton mentioned Colorado, Arkansas and Texas A&M as the schools that are currently recruiting him the hardest.

Shortly after visiting Clemson, the IMG Academy product visited the University of Miami. He’s also hoping to stop by both Louisville and Cincinnati sometime this month.

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