Tag: Dabo Swinney Camp

Clemson ‘childhood dream school’ for local standout specialist

A local standout specialist was back on campus at Clemson – his dream school – this summer. Greenville (S.C.) High School’s Thomas Guerrero, a talented punter/kicker prospect in the class of 2024, returned to Tiger Town for the Dabo Swinney Camp in …

A local standout specialist was back on campus at Clemson – his dream school – this summer.

Greenville (S.C.) High School’s Thomas Guerrero, a talented punter/kicker prospect in the class of 2024, returned to Tiger Town for the Dabo Swinney Camp in June after visiting Death Valley for the spring game back in April.

On both occasions, the high school junior was able to spend time with Bill Spiers, the Tigers’ director of special teams.

“I spoke to Coach Spiers at Clemson while I was there (at camp), and he was an amazing coach,” Guerrero told The Clemson Insider recently. “I loved talking to him, and he seemed like an amazing coach and he was so fun to talk too, and I had so much fun punting and kicking at the camp. I went on a spring game visit to Clemson where I first met Coach Spiers and I had a blast. It was an awesome experience and I hope to go back soon for a visit.”

Guerrero is rated as a 4.5-star punter and 4-star kicker by ProKicker.com. As a sophomore last season, he went 4-of-4 on field goal tries and 42-of-43 on extra point attempts while only handling field goal and PAT duties and not doing any punting due to an injury.

“I didn’t want to risk injuring it more, so this year I’m good to go,” he said. “Got off a back injury recently, so I’ll punt and kick.”

Guerrero describes himself as both a punt and field goal specialist, and thinks Clemson will be looking at him more as a punter but also as a field goal kicker.

“I had a pretty good day doing both at Clemson,” he said. “I think punting would stand out more and then field goals based off of how I did at the camp and how I’m doing now throughout the summer. Punting has been a strength through national ranking camps, college camps, and I think that’s my main specialty. My field goals were very consistent last year in season as well, hopefully I can have great season this year doing both.”

Guerrero, who also camped at Auburn in June along with camping at Clemson for the first time, hopes to begin building stronger bonds with college coaches come Sept. 1 when coaches can start actively reaching out to junior prospects in the 2024 class such as himself.

“I went to Auburn’s football camp and won the punt competition for the specialist camp, and I went to Clemson and had a solid punt showing,” he said. “So hopefully by September 1st I will get to make a better connection with the coaches since you can start talking to them.”

Guerrero would love to have the opportunity to get coached by Swinney and Spiers in college, and there’s plenty about Swinney’s program that appeals to him.

“Clemson has everything that I would want in a program, starting off with the coaches,” he said. “I would be so thankful to be coached under Coach Swinney and Coach Spiers. … Another thing that stands out is the school and football program overall. I’ve heard great things about the school and I love watching the Tigers play on Saturday, and a lot of my cousins have gone to Clemson and some are there now, so everything I have heard has been great.”

“It’s also close to home,” he continued. “I live in Greenville, S.C., and go to Greenville High School, so it’s close to where I live which makes it feel like home.”

Receiving an offer from Clemson – and having the chance to suit up for the Tigers in the future – would be a dream come true for the strong-legged local talent from Clemson’s backyard.

“Clemson has always been my childhood dream school,” he said, “and I would love nothing more than an opportunity to play for them.”

–Photo courtesy of Thomas Guerrero on Twitter (@Thomas_G29)

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

In-state TE highly impressed by Richardson, Clemson

Clemson was the first stop of the summer for a standout in-state tight end recruit, who is now on the Tigers’ recruiting radar. Fort Mill (S.C.) Catawba Ridge High’s Brady Ambrose – a 6-foot-4, 230-pound tight end in the class of 2025, participated …

Clemson was the first stop of the summer for a standout in-state tight end recruit, who is now on the Tigers’ recruiting radar.

Fort Mill (S.C.) Catawba Ridge High’s Brady Ambrose — a 6-foot-4, 230-pound tight end in the class of 2025, participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp on June 1.

“It was a good camp, I loved it, ” Ambrose recently told The Clemson Insider in a phone interview. “Coach (Kyle) Richardson and all them were really into it, in touch with the campers and all that. (Davis) Allen and all the tight ends on the roster were really being a part of it and helping him out with every little detail. It was a good experience all combined. You really never felt alone with it. If you ever needed help you could go ask somebody.”

Did Ambrose receive feedback from Clemson’s tight ends coach/passing game coordinator?

“Coach Richardson, he said he liked my size and everything like that,” Ambrose recalled. “I still need to work on a couple of things — I’m young. I still need to work on a couple of things, which is all good because I know I do. He just says he likes my build and athleticism and stuff like that.”

“I love Coach Richardson,” Ambrose continued. “He knows what he’s talking about. He’s been around football since forever. Being a head coach at Northwestern around here, we play them in the region now at Catawba Ridge. It’s gonna be a cool little connection between us two…I love him as a coach and I think he knows what he’s talking about.”

Those things that Richardson had mentioned had been a point of emphasis for Ambrose this offseason anyways. Ambrose said that he’s been working on his speed and route running and perfecting his blocking. Speed was the biggest thing that Ambrose worked on this offseason; just getting faster off the ball.

Ambrose is a three-sport athlete, who also plays basketball and was a region champ in shot put.

“I would say my game is probably designed after (former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end) Rob Gronkowski — I’d like to say,” Ambrose said when asked to describe himself as a player. More of a blocking first and then spreading the game out to the wide receiver — not everything’s about the run. I mean, we have an almost 1,5000-yard running back in the backfield, so I’m gonna help him get to his goals this year. And then surprise and slide me out wide and run some routes out there.”

That’s why Ambrose has focused on his speed and route running this offseason.

“Blocking, I think, is just a big part of a tight end’s game in general,” he said. “If you can’t really block as a tight end…it’s gonna be fun this year seeing where I can go with the blocking game and our running back, Tyler Jones.”

Before the start of his sophomore season, in addition to Clemson, Ambrose camped at South Carolina, Ohio State, Michigan, Virginia Tech and App State.

“I think the main thing about Clemson that stood out between other camps is that they strive to be a student-athlete, not just an athlete,” he said. “They try to embrace being an athlete as well as a student and being an all-around good person.”

Ambrose’s father played college football at Indiana, while his mother played college basketball at Dayton, so he knows all about the recruiting process.

“My dad and I are gonna try to make it to a lot of college games this year and just feel around and feel the atmosphere of the games and stuff,” Ambrose said.

Clemson, he said, is at the “top of the line” for a potential game day visit.

— Photo for this article courtesy of Brady Ambrose.

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns as one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.  If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Former teammate of Tigers freshman ‘in love’ with Clemson, waiting for offer

Earlier this summer, Clemson played host to a Peach State cornerback, who is a former teammate of a current Tigers freshman. Israel “Jacob” Boyce – a 6-foot, 175-pound rising junior out of Douglas County High (Georgia) – participated in the June 1 …

Earlier this summer, Clemson played host to a Peach State cornerback, who is a former teammate of a current Tigers freshman.

Israel “Jacob“ Boyce — a 6-foot, 175-pound rising junior out of Douglas County High (Georgia) — participated in the June 1 session of Dabo Swinney Camp. He also had the chance to camp at programs like Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State and LSU this summer.

Though Boyce, who is a former teammate and close friend of Myles Oliver, kept coming back to his time at Clemson and spoke glowingly of his experience in a phone interview with The Clemson Insider recently.

“My experience at Clemson was great,” Boyce said. “I already loved Clemson. I already had a spot in my heart about Clemson. When I went up there — it was different. When I went through the camp, the competition was great, getting to compete with players from all over the country.

After he participated in that day’s particular session of Swinney Camp, Boyce was taken on a tour of campus. Boyce loves to be in the weight room and see the progression that he has, so the weight room at Clemson stood out to him.

Was there anything that stood out about his camp experience?

“(Cornerbacks) Coach (Mike) Reed, he was really on me in the camp,” Boyce said. “I messed up a couple of times and he held me accountable like, after the drills, he was making me go back out there. I competed well at the camp. They ended up moving me from 2024 to compete with the seniors in 2023.”

Boyce loves that type of coaching.

“I’d rather learn what I’m doing wrong than keep doing the wrong thing and keep making the same mistake,” Boyce added. “I love that he kept holding me accountable and kept making me re-do it.”

That style of coaching was one of the pieces that helped sell one of Boyce’s former teammates — Myles Oliver — on Clemson. The freshman cornerback is currently amidst his first fall camp at Clemson and from all indications, has received that same level of hands-on coaching from Reed that Boyce received earlier this summer.

The way Oliver talks about Clemson, Boyce really wanted to see it for himself.

“Every time he comes back down here, we always talk about Clemson,” Boyce said of Oliver. “The first time we see each other, it’s always one of the first things he talks about. Before I came up from the camp, me and Myles was already talking about it. But after I visited, it was just more and more Clemson.”

Boyce had been talking with Reed, even before he started to rake in the scholarship offers this past spring. Since the end of April, Boyce has added offers from Middle Tennessee State, Coastal Carolina, Boston College, Arkansas State, Buffalo, Florida A&M, Liberty, Akron, Eastern Michigan and Morehouse College.

He believes that this season ahead will be big for him and his current recruitment.

“My recruitment is still going up,” he said. “I’m waiting on that Clemson (offer).”

What would a potential offer from the Tigers mean to Boyce?

“That would be a game-changer,” he said. “That would be different. I’m already in love with Clemson, so that would be different.”

According to Boyce, Reed wants to get him back up on campus for a game day visit this fall.

“That was music to my ears because I definitely want to come back up there,” Boyce said. “When he said that, that was one of the biggest things. But, he also said that he was going to stay on top of me. Ever since then, Myles (Oliver) he’ll come back and share with me some stuff about what Coach Reed said.”

— Photo for this article courtesy of Israel Boyce.

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Alabama DL high on Clemson, feeling the love from Tigers

Clemson is sitting well early on with this promising defensive line prospect from the Yellowhammer State with more than a half-dozen power conference offers. Opelika (Ala.) High School’s Malik Autry is a young prospect in the class of 2025, so he …

Clemson is sitting well early on with this promising defensive line prospect from the Yellowhammer State with more than a half-dozen power conference offers.

Opelika (Ala.) High School’s Malik Autry is a young prospect in the class of 2025, so he doesn’t currently hold an offer from the Tigers, who typically don’t dispense offers earlier than the summer before a recruit’s junior year.

But although he doesn’t have the offer yet, the 6-foot-6, 265-pound rising sophomore is still really high on Clemson.

“Even though I don’t have the offer yet, they are still very high,” Autry told The Clemson Insider recently, regarding where the Tigers stand with him early in his recruitment. “I know they don’t offer early, so we’ll see.”

The ACC’s Tigers are, in fact, one of the teams Autry is feeling the most love from at this point in his recruiting process — along with a couple of other Tigers from the SEC.

“Definitely Clemson, Auburn and a little LSU,” he said.

Autry made visits this summer to each of those schools and said he wants to get to games at all of them this fall.

He was on Clemson’s campus in early June, when he participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp for the second consecutive summer and had the chance to work on his craft as a D-lineman while learning from defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall and defensive tackles coach Nick Eason.

“By far the best camp to learn from,” Autry said, reflecting on his camp experience. “Coach Hall and Coach Eason both gave me great tips when going against the older guys. If you wanna go camp somewhere to get better, go to Clemson.”

Autry isn’t sure exactly when he’ll make it to Death Valley this fall but is very much looking forward to returning to Tiger Town.

“I honestly don’t know,” he said, “but all I know is I can’t wait.”

Autry has accumulated early offers from Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Michigan, Kentucky and LSU.

Clemson’s family atmosphere appeals strongly to Autry, who believes it’s genuine, and who would love to add the Tigers to his aforementioned offer list in the future.

“Clemson is one big family, I’ll tell anyone that,” he said. “They’re legit.”

Along with traveling to Clemson for the Swinney Camp this summer and last summer, Autry made an unofficial visit to the school this past March.

“It was great,” he said to TCI after the visit. “They have a great facility with the bowling alley and basketball (court), and it just felt like home with all the coaches. And then the way that all the coaches have been (at Clemson) for such a long time… Most of the coaches played there and their kids went there, and it just seemed like one big whole family.”

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Peach State WR with Clemson ties says chance to play for Tigers ‘would be amazing’

A talented prospect with a couple of ties to the Clemson football program made his way to Tiger Town earlier this summer. Grayson High School (Loganville, Ga.) wide receiver Darren Coleman – a rising junior in the class of 2024 – traveled to campus …

A talented prospect with a couple of ties to the Clemson football program made his way to Tiger Town earlier this summer.

Grayson High School (Loganville, Ga.) wide receiver Darren Coleman – a rising junior in the class of 2024 – traveled to campus June 1 to participate in the first session of the Dabo Swinney Camp.

It marked the second straight summer that Coleman camped at Clemson.

“It was a great experience,” he said. “I was able to go there for the second year in a row and learned a lot from a lot of the coaches, like (wide receivers) coach (Tyler) Grisham and (graduate assistant) Artavis Scott – just a lot of learning the coaching points. Even in one-on-ones, routes on air, they were helping me through the whole thing, even stuff I needed to work on.”

What kind of feedback did Coleman get from Grisham and Scott about his camp workout?

“What they told me, they said I did really good,” he said. “But during the camp, even if I caught a ball, Coach Grisham or Artavis Scott, they would come over to me and tell me what I needed to do to fix it to where I can get more open or what I did too much of, to basically just cut out the extra steps.”

Coleman started out at the camp with the group of rising juniors in the 2024 class. But the coaches thought enough of what they saw from Coleman to move him into the group of seniors.

“Towards the end, I was running with the seniors,” he said. “It made me feel really good because it made me feel like I was actually showing them my potential and they were actually paying attention and watching me. So, to make that little transition (where) I’m up with the older kids, but I still had to work and do the same thing.”

Coleman has a connection to Clemson co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Mickey Conn, who coached Coleman in little league and was the head coach at Grayson for 16 seasons prior to joining Swinney’s staff in March 2016.

Coleman also has a relationship with Clemson sophomore running back Phil Mafah, a former teammate of Coleman at Grayson who accompanied Coleman and Grisham on a tour of the facilities when Coleman camped at Clemson last year.

“We used to talk a lot when he was with the team,” Coleman said of Mafah. “He was very nice, kind. It wasn’t like he was stuck up and cocky – he was talking to everybody, even though he was a senior, really good, but he was just nice to everybody. So we did talk, and every time I come there, he always daps us up and talks to us for a little bit. So, it’s always nice to meet him again.”

Coleman, who picked up his first offer from Morehouse College in late June, feels he has a lot to offer college football programs as a wideout in the future.

“I feel like my precise route-running and also my speed and able to get open and get separation,” he said.

Coleman expects to be back in Tiger Town this fall to take in a game at Death Valley.

The chance to actually suit up for the Tigers in Death Valley down the road would be a dream come true for him.

“Having a chance to play at Clemson, that would be amazing, that would be great,” he said. “Even getting an offer, because they’re a top school, they have a really good football program and they have a really good academic program – not just football, they have a very great academic program. They major in engineering and finance, that’s what I (want to) major in. So, I would be able to do good in school and also football, too. So, getting an offer from Coach Swinney would be amazing.”

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Top Palmetto State DB: Receiving Clemson offer ‘would be accomplishing a childhood dream’

One of the Palmetto State’s top-ranked prospects in the class of 2024, who is drawing interest from Clemson, returned to Tiger Town for camp this summer. West Florence High School (Florence, S.C.) safety Kelvin Hunter participated in the first day …

One of the Palmetto State’s top-ranked prospects in the class of 2024, who is drawing interest from Clemson, returned to Tiger Town for camp this summer.

West Florence High School (Florence, S.C.) safety Kelvin Hunter participated in the first day of the Dabo Swinney Camp on June 1.

It marked the 6-foot-1, 185-pound rising junior’s first time camping at Clemson.

“I had a great experience learning from all the coaches that were there,” he told The Clemson Insider.

Hunter, who holds a half-dozen FBS offers, including two SEC offers and an ACC offer, worked out at the strong safety position and heard positive things from Clemson’s staff regarding his camp performance.

“All the feedback was good,” he said. “They were just helping improve my technique.”

The Tigers expressed their interest in Hunter, the No. 5 prospect in the state of South Carolina for the 2024 class per Rivals, while letting him know where he stands with them early in the recruiting process.

“They told me that they are interested in me, but as of right now we are just building relationships,” Hunter said. “But they said they don’t usually offer until my senior year, so in the meanwhile just keep grinding and working.”

The fact that Hunter is on Clemson’s recruiting radar means a lot to him and serves as proof of the fruit of his labor.

“It feels good,” he said of the Tigers’ interest in him, “and it shows that my hard work is paying off and that I’m actually getting exposure to different colleges.”

South Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State and Charlotte have all offered Hunter, who said “there isn’t any school sticking out to me yet.”

A future offer from the powerhouse, Palmetto State program Clemson would obviously be a big deal for Hunter, should the in-state standout earn that offer down the road.

“A Clemson offer would mean a lot,” he said. “I would be accomplishing a childhood dream and also it would boost my recruitment.”

Hunter, who also visited Clemson for the Florida State game last October, spoke about what appeals to him the most about Dabo Swinney’s program.

“What stands out to me is they have a winning culture already set up there,” he said, “so you know what to expect when you go there.”

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Clemson ‘always going to be a big interest’ for local receiver, legacy recruit

A standout local prospect and Clemson legacy recruit on the Tigers’ radar returned to campus earlier this summer. Daniel High School’s Eli Merck, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound wide receiver in the class of 2023, participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp on June …

A standout local prospect and Clemson legacy recruit on the Tigers’ radar returned to campus earlier this summer.

Daniel High School’s Eli Merck, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound wide receiver in the class of 2023, participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp on June 2.

“I went the full day. It was good,” Merck said of his Swinney Camp experience in a recent interview with The Clemson Insider. “I got a lot of work in. Got to compete in the Orange group, I believe, with Coach Grish (wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham). Overall, it was just a great day.”

What kind of feedback did Merck get from Grisham regarding his camp performance?

“He likes the way I run routes and catch the ball clean,” Merck said. “Like I said, it was just a great day to go out there and learn more and get better.”

It marked the second consecutive summer that Merck has camped at Clemson, and he cited the best part of this year’s camp as “probably just being able to compete with the highest level there.”

“There was a bunch of great quarterbacks, great wide receivers there, and I just got to learn a lot,” he added.

Along with Grisham, Merck had the chance to work at the camp with Swinney, who of course was a wide receiver at Alabama and served as Clemson’s receivers coach before becoming the head coach.

“Coach Swinney came over there and coached me up on a couple of drills that we were doing,” Merck said. “I know he was a wide receiver and wide receiver coach at one point, so he knows a lot about how to do things at the wide receiver position. So, that was helpful, too.”

In addition to Clemson, schools such as Charlotte, Liberty and Mercer (to name a few) have shown interest in Merck, who surpassed 1,000 yards receiving as both a sophomore in 2020 and junior in 2021 and has accounted for 31 touchdown receptions over his past two campaigns.

Merck’s grandfather, Oscar Thorsland, was a tight end for the Tigers back in the day, and living basically in Clemson’s backyard and attending high school just a few miles away from the university’s campus, Merck has grown up a fan of the Tigers.

So, the interest Merck has received from Clemson certainly means a lot to him, and he’d love to have the opportunity to suit up for Swinney and the Tigers in the future.

“They’re still showing interest. And hometown team, it’s always going to be a big interest for me to go there,” he said. “It’s just a great school, great football.”

Merck attended Clemson’s spring game on April 9 as an unofficial visitor and anticipates returning to Tiger Town for at least one game during the upcoming season.

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

 

Clemson ‘definitely’ a favorite for talented Columbia WR

A talented in-state prospect whose recruitment is picking up was on campus at Clemson earlier this summer to compete at the Dabo Swinney Camp. Ridge View High School (Columbia, S.C.) wide receiver Adonis McDaniel, a rising senior in the class of …

A talented in-state prospect whose recruitment is picking up was on campus at Clemson earlier this summer to compete at the Dabo Swinney Camp.

Ridge View High School (Columbia, S.C.) wide receiver Adonis McDaniel, a rising senior in the class of 2023, had an outstanding experience at the camp on Thursday, June 2 while working with and learning from Swinney and wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham.

“When I camped at Clemson, I absolutely loved it,” McDaniel told The Clemson Insider recently. “I don’t have the offer from Clemson, but Clemson is definitely top three one of my favorite schools. The way they ran the camp was great. I got lots of reps and learned a bunch from Coach Swinney and Coach Grisham. When I camped, I worked out at the WR position because that is my main position, but I also play DB. I felt like I knew the majority of the stuff we discussed. I do a lot of it on my own but really Coach Grisham was helping me get a lot more crisp with what we were doing.”

After watching McDaniel work out at the Swinney Camp, Grisham expressed his intention to take another in-person look at the 5-foot-11, 165-pound wideout during the upcoming season.

“After the great camp, I had Coach Grisham say he would definitely be at one of my games this year to check me out!” McDaniel said.

As a junior last season, McDaniel posted 675 all-purpose yards, 500 receiving yards, 36 catches and six touchdowns to go with 12 tackles and four pass breakups on the defensive side of the ball.

Gardner-Webb, Newberry, Lenoir-Rhyne and the University of Charleston have offered McDaniel, who is also drawing interest from a number of other schools as his recruitment starts to take off more.

“Right now, App State, Coastal, ECU, SC State, Georgia Southern, James Madison, Indiana and a few more (are showing interest) that I can’t think of at the moment,” he said. “But my recruitment is on the rise for sure.”

McDaniel didn’t have the chance to camp at Clemson in the summer of 2021 but came away highly impressed after his first trip to campus this summer, especially after seeing the Tigers’ football facility.

“When I camped at Clemson that was my first time camping there and being on campus because last year the slots filled up very quickly so I wasn’t able to attend,” he said. “But I definitely love everything about Clemson’s facility, it is for sure top notch.”

–Photo for this article courtesy of Adonis McDaniel on Twitter (@d1adonizzz)

Talented young New Jersey QB ‘would love to one day be a Clemson Tiger’

A talented young signal-caller to keep an eye on in the future was on campus at Clemson last month. Red Bank (N.J.) quarterback Kahden Davis participated in the second day of the Dabo Swinney Camp on June 2. “When I went to the Clemson camp it was a …

A talented young signal-caller to keep an eye on in the future was on campus at Clemson last month.

Red Bank (N.J.) quarterback Kahden Davis participated in the second day of the Dabo Swinney Camp on June 2.

“When I went to the Clemson camp it was a great experience,” Davis told The Clemson Insider recently. “I had tons of fun and the energy was like none other. The facility was amazing, and all of the coaches and athletes showed amazing hospitality making me feel welcomed. I loved how they didn’t just let us go through drills but took time to help me add tools to my toolbelt. It was my first visit to Clemson, and I can’t wait to be back.”

Although he is just a rising eighth grader in the class of 2027, Davis has already started to get an early look and interest from power conference programs.

“I’d say Michigan and Syracuse are showing the most early interest so far,” he said. “They have my film but also had a chance to see me work out at multiple camps this summer so far.”

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Davis showcased his dual-threat ability last season, completing 60 of 87 passing attempts for 1,236 yards and 14 touchdowns with only three interceptions while rushing for 629 yards and six touchdowns on 52 carries, averaging 12.1 yards per tote.

“I would describe myself as a field general because of my leadership and my character on the field,” he said. “One thing I’m proud of is how coaches always talk about how I keep my eyes downfield when the play falls apart, always looking to get the ball to someone downfield rather than take off running. I have been compared to Donovan McNabb and Ben Roethlisberger because of my body frame, arm strength and ability to run when things get tight.”

Davis is pleased with how he performed at the Swinney Camp and enjoyed working with Clemson’s staff, including quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter.

“At the camp I felt like I threw well and did a phenomenal job,” he said. “Coach Streeter and the QB staff — Kaleb Nobles (offensive player development, quarterbacks) and Tajh Boyd (offensive analyst) – was energetic and you can tell they really pour a lot into their QB room just from working with them at camp. They really helped me to dial in on making my dropback footwork more precise.”

Davis left Clemson very impressed after his camp visit and the time he spent around Streeter, the Tigers’ staff and Swinney’s program as a whole.

The promising young quarterback would be thrilled to have the chance to suit up for the Tigers down the road.

“After meeting with Coach Streeter after camp I can say without a doubt that Clemson is a place that cares about creating well-rounded men and not just football players,” he said. “The fact that Coach Swinney makes it a point to push all his players, even after graduation and even pro guys, to get their degree was impressive because academics are super important to me. Also the fact that they don’t really use the transfer portal means they recruit well and truly believe and invest in their players.”

“Their football legacy is of course impressive, but it was the non-football related things that stood out most to me,” he continued. “The other thing I liked is how unapologetic they were about their belief in Christ and that to me stood out most. If I got an offer from Clemson down the road it would mean A LOT to me! I would love to one day be a Clemson Tiger.”

–Photo courtesy of @KahdenDavis on Twitter

Dear Old Clemson’s first event is July 24. Now there is a new way to support Clemson student-athletes. Come out and meet the freshmen football players at this meet and greet autograph session. If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events. Purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Up-and-coming TE loves Richardson, working for Clemson offer

An up-and-coming tight end prospect from the Peach State, who has seen his recruitment take off this spring and summer while picking up multiple major scholarship offers, participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp last month. Milton (Ga.) High School’s …

An up-and-coming tight end prospect from the Peach State, who has seen his recruitment take off this spring and summer while picking up multiple major scholarship offers, participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp last month.

Milton (Ga.) High School’s Ryan Ghea – a 6-foot-5, 217-pound rising sophomore in the class of 2025 – camped at Clemson on June 2.

“Camp at Clemson was by far the most detailed and challenging I went to in (the summer),” he told The Clemson Insider.

Clemson tight ends coach Kyle Richardson during pregame of the Cheez-It Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. Wednesday, December 29, 2021. Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider

Ghea also camped at schools such as Georgia, Ohio State and UConn.

During the Swinney Camp, he got some one-on-one time with Clemson tight ends coach Kyle Richardson.

“I love Coach,” Ghea said of Richardson. “He is real and very specific on his communication to me. I know what to work on and what he is thinking. I like that type of coaching.”

Ghea regularly stays in touch with Richardson, who told Ghea that he’s planning to watch him play in person this season.

“Coach and I connect often and talk about my progress,” Ghea said. “We have built a connection and he said he was caching one of my games this year.”

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.

How does Ghea describe himself as a tight end?

“My route running and speed are my strengths,” he said, “but I can put my hand in the dirt to block on the line or at the next level.”

Ghea has his sights on hopefully scoring an offer from Clemson down the road.

“Clemson is a powerhouse program, and I would be honored to receive an offer,” he said. “Going to keep working to earn the offer.”

–Photo courtesy of Ryan Ghea on Twitter (@RyanGhea2025)

Dear Old Clemson’s first event is July 24.  Now there is a new way to support Clemson student athletes.  Come out and meet the freshmen football players at this meet and greet autograph session.  If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events.  Purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.