Clemson Extends Offer to No. 1 Tight End in 2028 Class

After a month and a half since the first 2028 offer was extended, the Tigers have now focused in on the best tight end in the country.

Clemson has sent out an offer to the No. 1 TE in the 2028 class, Kaleb Ballard, who is the first offer at the position for the Tigers. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Since the beginning of June, the Clemson Tigers have sent out over 20 offers to players in the 2028 class, and the most recent one was extended to one of the best overall prospects in the cycle.

On Saturday night, Wetumpka (Al.) tight end Kaleb Ballard announced via X (Formerly Twitter) that he had received an offer from Clemson. He is the 23rd recruit to receive an offer from the program and the second pass-catcher, joining five-star wideout Braylon Clark.

Ballard is rated a four-star prospect and ranks as the No. 34 overall player, the No. 1 player at his position and the No. 2 recruit in the state of Alabama, according to Rivals rankings.

Kaleb Ballard receives an Offer from Clemson University !! 🟠⚫️#preparationperseveranceprevail #hardwork #classof2028 #nextlevel@we2_football @TheCoachBear48 @CoachFagan_5 @DexPreps pic.twitter.com/6hTjSgMcO4

— Kaleb Ballard (@KalebBallard28) July 19, 2026

The 6-foot-5, 215-pound tight end recently started gaining traction on the national recruiting scene after having a breakout sophomore campaign for Wetumpka High School, where he totaled 32 receptions for 573 yards and 10 touchdowns across 11 contests.

While Ballard already had one offer on his sheet before the season, that being Troy, he’s gained over 20 more since the end of the 2025 season.

In December and January, he collected scholarships from Purdue, Tennessee State, Virginia Tech and Florida State, which he earned while on campus for the program’s Junior Day.

Ballard’s recruitment only picked up further through the spring, adding offers from some of the best schools in the country, including but not limited to Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida and Georgia Tech. 

From March to May, he continued making unofficial visits, those being to Mississippi State, UAB, Auburn, Purdue, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Florida State (again).

The circumstances have been similar throughout this summer, as Ballard, in order, visited Georgia, Clemson, LSU, Mississippi State, Auburn, Alabama, Ole Miss and Florida. Additionally, he added offers from schools that hadn’t already extended one, including UCLA, LSU, NC State, Ole Miss, and, most recently, the Tigers. 

While we’re still very early into Ballard’s recruitment, in-state schools Auburn and Alabama appear to be the front-runners so far, with the Tigers holding a 15.5% chance of landing the four-star talent, and the Crimson Tide holding a 13.6% chance, according to the Rivals Prediction Machine. Trailing the pair of programs are Mississippi State (11.7%), Florida State (9.7%) and Florida (9.7%).

Side note: Ballard is also a very skilled basketball player, as he finished the 2025 season with averages of 16 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks per game for the Indians.

Clemson Tigers on SI will remain updated on all the recruits in the 2028 class as the cycle continues to speed up throughout the summer and fall.