Clemson Quarterback Commit Officially Shuts Down Recruitment

Recruiting is now in full swing with spring here, and the Clemson Tigers just got some of the best news they could ask for in that department.

On Tuesday night, longtime Clemson commit Kharim Hughley — and the second member of his class to commit back in July last year — announced he is officially shutting down his recruitment.

He is now the second 2027 commit to shut down his recruitment so far, following three-star linebacker Max Brown, who announced his recruitment was shutting down in late January.

The 6-foot dual-threat signal caller is rated as a four-star prospect, and ranks as the No. 121 overall recruit, the No. 5 player at his position, and the No. 16 player in the state of Georgia, according to ESPN rankings.

Before committing to the Tigers, Hughley was sought out by some of the top programs in the country, including his home-state school, Georgia, as well as Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame, among others.

He went on four visits to Athens, but ultimately felt the fit was right at Clemson. Now, he has two more visits lined up with the Tigers in 2026, including the annual Elite Retreat on March 7 and an official visit on May 29.

Hughley attends Gainesville High School — the same school legendary Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson attended — and has spent the past three seasons on their varsity squad.

As a backup behind now-Murray State quarterback Baxter Wright in his freshman season, he saw little playing time but showed promise, completing one pass for seven yards while carrying the ball twice for 61 yards (30.5 yards per carry).

In his first full season as a starter during his sophomore campaign, Hughley put his name on the map by completing 140-of-232 passes for 2,543 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and two interceptions. On the ground, he carried the ball 30 times for 108 yards and three touchdowns.

Following his impressive first season as a starter, offers started to pile up, accumulating 11 offers in the span of two months. Yet when Dabo Swinney and Clemson offered on July 5, Hughley locked in his commitment to the program within five days.

This past season, the junior hit the ground running, delivering the best overall season of his young career. Through 14 starts, Hughley completed 61% of his passes for 2,456 passing yards and 33 touchdowns while rushing for 379 yards and eight touchdowns.

He led Gainesville to the GHSA 5A state championship, but fell 62-21 to Thomas County Central. By the end of the season, the Red Elephants finished as the No. 41 team in the nation and the No. 6 in Georgia.

With the high upside dual-threat now fully pledged to the program, Swinney and the Clemson staff may have their quarterback of the future on their hands.