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Clemson Sends Out First QB Offers of 2028 Class

Clemson is joining the quarterback race earlier than usual this upcoming cycle, with a pair of fresh offers now on the board.
Angelo Feliberty|
On Sunday, Clemson extended a pair of offers to 2028 quarterbacks, who were both recently in town for the Dabo Swinney camp.
On Sunday, Clemson extended a pair of offers to 2028 quarterbacks, who were both recently in town for the Dabo Swinney camp. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Clemson Tigers

Around this time last year, Clemson and former offensive coordinator Garrett Riley had offered just one quarterback in Peyton Houston, who’s now committed to LSU. This year, however, the renewed Tigers staff is taking a different approach, having already put two offers on the table at the position.

On Sunday, Clemson extended offers to a pair of blue-chip quarterbacks who are well acquainted with the program, having taken unofficial visits in the spring before returning to display their talents at the annual Dabo Swinney camp earlier this month.

That said, we’re going to take a more in-depth look at each prospect and where their recruitment stands early in the cycle.

Trace Hawkins

The Calhoun, Georgia, native receiving an offer comes as no surprise, given that he has been a frequent visitor to the program since first arriving in Death Valley for the Dabo Swinney camp last summer.

While Hawkins was listed as a top 75 player and a top five quarterback in his class the last time we wrote about him, he’s still rated a four-star but dropped in the rankings to the No. 294 overall player, the No. 20 prospect at his position and the No. 37 recruit in the state of Georgia, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Hawkins attends Calhoun High, and while he’s been listed on the varsity roster since middle school, he became the team’s starting signal caller as a freshman in 2024. 

In his first year as a starter, he quickly made a name for himself in the national recruiting scene, completing 68% of his passes for 2,079 passing yards and 23 touchdowns to just one interception. On the ground, he added 77 carries for 352 yards and five touchdowns en route to a 12-3 record and a GHSA 3A State Championship.

Following his standout debut, he earned offers from multiple Power Four programs, including Duke, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Florida and Indiana. Hawkins would then take unofficial visits to Gainesville in April 2025 and Tigertown in June 2025 before starting his sophomore campaign.

This past season, the 6-foot signal caller put up career highs in passing, logging 2,442 yards, 24 touchdowns and three interceptions through the air. He continued to make strides as a dual-threat, too, carrying the ball 31 times for 153 rushing yards and an additional three scores.

Since season’s end, he’s added 10 more offers from SMU, Tulsa, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Iowa State, LSU, Vanderbilt, Memphis, Virginia Tech, and, obviously, Clemson.

During his sophomore season, he took unofficial visits to Auburn, Duke and Clemson before returning to Tigertown two more times throughout the spring. His most recent visit was with the Blue Devils again in mid-April.

As it stands, the pair of ACC teams looks to be out front early in his recruitment, with Auburn, Florida and Georgia Tech still in the race, according to the Rivals Prediction Machine.

Trey Wright

After starting on Lone Star’s (Tx.) junior varsity squad as a freshman, Wright has become one of the most prolific dual-threats in the country this past season.

He’s rated a three-star prospect and ranks as the No. 366 overall player, the No. 28 player at his position and the No. 45 recruit in the state of Texas, according to the 247Sports Composite.

While playing alongside Clemson cornerback commit Bryant Robinson this past season, Wright put the recruiting scene on notice.

Across 16 games, he completed 67% of his passes for 4,042 yards, 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He added a whopping 163 carries for 1,764 yards and 16 scores on the ground while leading Lone Star to its first UIL 5A D1 State Championship appearance since 2015.

The 5-foot-11 signal caller finished the year with the most yards in the nation (5,806 total) and the 19th most passing yards nationally (second-most in 2028) in addition to being named the Unanimous 5-5A District MVP, a MaxPreps All-American and the Dallas All Area Newcomer of the Year.

Since season’s end, he’s received over 20 offers, including, but not limited to: Oregon, Michigan, Oklahoma, Florida State, Baylor, Kentucky and South Carolina.

Over the past couple of months, he’s made just four visits, with the first to Clemson in early April, followed by a visit to Kansas State at the end of that same month. Recently, he’s returned to Tigertown for the Dabo Swinney camp, where he impressed. He then took a trip to Ohio State last week.

As it stands, the Tigers are out front for the fast-rising dual-threat, as the program holds a 48.7% chance of landing him, according to the Rivals Prediction Machine.

Note: Wright is also a very skilled basketball player, playing alongside Robinson — who is also a three-star on the hardwood — as the pair helped lead Lone Star to the state title game. He also plays AAU for 16U Drive Nation on the Nike EYBL Circuit.

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Angelo Feliberty
ANGELO FELIBERTY

Angelo Feliberty is a Sports Communication major who got his start with The Tiger newspaper at Clemson University starting as a contributor and working his way up to senior reporter covering multiple sports for the Clemson Tigers. A native of Myrtle Beach, S.C., Feliberty was a three-year letterman in track at Myrtle Beach High School.

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