Five-Star Tight End Chooses SEC Program Over Clemson Tigers

The Clemson Tigers have now missed out on their third tight end target within the past month, and while they've sent out an additional two offers to others at the position in the wake of the misses, this whiff certainly hurts the most.

On Thursday evening, Jaxon Dollar announced where he'll be heading to begin his collegiate career, opting to take his talents to Georgia over Clemson, Notre Dame, Miami and Texas.

He becomes the second pass-catcher to join the Bulldogs' top-10-ranked 2027 recruiting class, with three-star wide receiver Aden Starling being the other.

BREAKING: Elite 2027 TE Jaxon Dollar has Committed to Georgia, he tells me for @Rivals⁰⁰The 6’5 226 TE from Denver, NC chose the Bulldogs over Notre Dame and Miami

He’s ranked as the No. 19 Recruit in the 2027 Rivals300https://t.co/5T2vapAnTy pic.twitter.com/10fiARY6zm
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 30, 2026

The 6-foot-5 tight end is rated a five-star prospect and ranks as the No. 32 player nationally, the No. 2 player at his position and the No. 2 player in the state of North Carolina, according to 247Sports Composite.

The decision doesn't come as much of a surprise for Tiger fans, as Notre Dame and Georgia were the two primary front-runners for the five-star prospect. In late October 2025, 247Sports Notre Dame recruiting writer Eric Thomas logged a prediction for Dollar to land with the Fighting Irish, and that lead held firm for months.

Things began to shift, however, after the Bulldogs hosted Dollar for a pair of visits this past month. Shortly after his second trip to Athens, he announced he would be setting a commitment date of April 30. The timing raised eyebrows, and On3's Chad Simmons and Steve Wiltfong took notice, with both logging expert predictions for Dollar to end up in Georgia just two days ago, on April 28.

Despite the Tigers fighting from behind, Dollar was one of the first recruits in the 2027 class to earn an offer from Clemson, as he visited campus on June 3, 2025, for the Clemson Tigers camp and received his offer just two weeks later.

Since then, he was made a priority by head coach Dabo Swinney and tight ends coach Kyle Richardson, visiting for the Clemson vs. LSU season-opener and, most recently, the annual Elite Retreat in early March.

Regarding his play on the field, Dollar attends East Lincoln High School in Denver, North Carolina and has had a spot on varsity since his sophomore year.

The vertical threat had an immediate impact on the Mustangs in 2024, recording 13 receptions for 224 yards and 6 touchdowns. While Dollar didn't get the ball in his hands too many times, he showed a lot of potential heading into his junior year, accounting for nine receptions and 163 yards in his final two games of the season.

He also made plays as an edge rusher, recording 32 tackles, one for a loss, three sacks, three pass deflections and one forced fumble.

In his junior campaign this past season, Dollar became a force to be reckoned with on both ends. He became the Mustang's primary target through the air, logging 54 receptions for 1,190 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns, including a 241-yard, four-touchdown performance against Bandys High School. He also added a touchdown on a two-yard rush.

Defensively, he totaled 38 tackles, 13 for a loss, five sacks, three QB hurries, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles and one blocked field goal. The two-way campaign earned him Western Foothills 4A/5A Player of the Year.

While Clemson still has redshirt sophomore Christian Bentancur, redshirt freshman Logan Brooking and true freshman Tayveon Wilson beyond this upcoming season, going 0-for-3 on primary targets is never a good sign, and that's exactly the position the Tigers find themselves in.

Looking ahead, Richardson will look to land either or both three-star recruits Carter Blackwell and Mason Hall, who received offers nearly two weeks ago.

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