Clemson Catcher Jacob Jarrell Selected in Eighth Round of 2026 MLB Draft

The 2026 MLB Draft began yesterday in Philadelphia, and while only one Clemson player/commit was drafted on day one, three more have now been selected amidst the second and final day.

Across the first six rounds, the trio of Tigers drafted included top-65 prospect and Clemson pitcher commit Blake Bryant, who went in the first round, starting pitcher Aidan Knaak, who went in the fifth round and key reliever Justin LeGuernic, who went in the sixth round.

Two rounds after LeGuernic’s selection, the Atlanta Braves chose Tigers catcher Jacob Jarrell with the No. 232 overall pick in the eighth round of the MLB Draft.

Unlike the other Tigers drafted, Jarrell won’t have a decision to make on whether he’ll stay with Clemson or leave for the MLB, as his eligibility clock has run out after a four-year stint playing College Baseball in upstate South Carolina.

Congrats, @jacob_jarrell1❗️ 👏 ⚾️

The senior C was drafted in the eighth round (No. 232 overall) by the @Braves❗️#ClemsonFamily 🐾 🐅#MLBDraft @MLB pic.twitter.com/jm5W5PMVMq
— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball) July 12, 2026

Now, while Jarrell only played catcher throughout his four-year tenure, his defensive status isn’t what makes him an eye-catching prospect at the next level — it’s his bat.

While his batting average doesn’t jump off the stat sheet, Jarrell is one of just seven collegiate catchers in his draft class to eclipse a 90th-percentile exit velocity, a walk rate greater than 10% and a strikeout rate less than 20%, according to Prep Baseball.

Other players at the position to match or best those numbers include Georgia Tech’s Vahn Lackey (3rd overall pick), Arkansas’s Ryder Helfrick (15th overall pick), Georgia’s Daniel Jackson (37th overall pick), North Carolina’s Macon Winslow (190th overall) and Oklahoma State’s Campbell Smithwick.

The tools were there from the start, even while Jarrell shared time behind the plate his first two seasons. But it wasn’t until he took over as Clemson’s everyday catcher in 2024 that he made it clear exactly what kind of player he was.

As a true freshman in 2023, Jarrell split time behind the plate with Cooper Ingle, who recently made his MLB debut with the Cleveland Guardians.

The 6-foot righty finished his first year with a batting average of .208 and an OPS of .702 to go with 18 RBIs, 15 runs, 11 walks, five doubles and five home runs across 101 at-bats and 35 game appearances. Defensively, he recorded 249 putouts, 22 assists and two errors in 273 chances.

While Ingle went on to depart from Clemson after being selected in the fourth round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Jarrell then had to split catching duties yet again, but this time with Michigan transfer Jimmy Obertop, who followed head coach Erik Bakich.

Ahead of the 2024 season, Jarrell was named a team co-captain. Unfortunately, he played only 28 games due to a facial injury that sidelined him for 4 weeks, but he still showed clear signs of improvement.

Across 97 at-bats, he finished the season with a batting average of .289 and an OPS of .914 along with 24 RBIs, 21 runs, 13 walks, six home runs and five doubles. Behind the plate, he notched 142 putouts, 14 assists and just one error in 157 chances.

Over the past two years, Jarrell has become the Tigers' primary catcher and one of the team's best leaders. In 2025 and 2026 combined, he logged a .266 batting average and a .938 OPS while belting 91 RBIs, 87 runs, 33 home runs and 12 doubles.

In those two seasons, Jarrell became the first Tiger since Seth Beer to lead Clemson in homers in back-to-back seasons. He was also named a Second-team All-ACC selection as a senior this past season after finishing the year with 53 hits and 18 home runs (Top 5 in the ACC).

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