Tiger Tracker: Priority Target Sets Commitment Date, More Recruiting News and Notes
The Tigers are now starting to pick up some steam on the recruiting trail.
The spring evaluation period is now underway, so expect members of the coaching staff to begin hitting the road when high schools start holding spring practices over the next week or two.
However, just assistant coaches, though. Head coaches are not allowed on the road during this time, and the assistants are only allowed to watch and evaluate. While they are allowed to talk with coaches, they can't talk directly with potential prospects.
After going more than six months without a commitment, Clemson picked up two verbal pledges in as many days last week. First up was QB Chris Vizzina, who committed on Tuesday, with TE Reid Mikeska following suit on Wednesday. Both players are blue-chip prospects and their additions now give Clemson three commitments in the 2023 class. They join WR Nathaniel Joseph, who committed late last year.
Now Clemson looks to continue that momentum into the summer months, as priority target, and Top-200 talent, David Ojiegbe is set to announce next Wednesday. The 6-foot-5, 233-pound edge rusher visited Clemson twice this spring and now has more than 30 offers. Maryland, Miami, Penn State and North Carolina have also shown a strong interest in the pass rusher from the D.C. area.
The Tigers have really positioned themselves well here and are in very good shape in regards to picking up its first defensive commitment of the 2023 class. The plan is to take a minimum of three defensive ends, and Ojiegbe would be an excellent fit in the Tigers' aggressive scheme.
2023 TE target Jelani Thurman named his eight finalists on Tuesday, with the Tigers making the cut. Thurman picked up his offer while on a recent visit, and now has 25 in all. Clemson already has one TE commitment in Mikeska, but the plan is to sign two in this class.
2023 DL AJ Hoffler is coming off a recent visit, his second of the spring. Ohio State had long been considered the favorite to land the 6-foot-5, 245-pound SI All American candidate, but after his latest trip to campus, in which he had a long face-to-face meeting with Swinney, the blue-chip talent told All Clemson that the Tigers are now tied with the Buckeyes at the top of his list.
This summer months have always been a critical stretch for the Tigers in recruiting. The annual All In Cookout, usually held later in the summer, has been a huge hit with recruits, and their families.
However, as we disclosed previously, Clemson is switching things up a little bit this summer. Typically, the Tigers do not host players on official visits during the spring and summer months, but Swinney is softening his stance on that subject, at least for this recruiting cycle.
The staff plans to host a number of high-priority targets on official visits the first weekend in June (3-5), and here are the players All Clemson has confirmed will be on hand.
- 2023 DL AJ Hoffler
- 2023 OL Harris Sewell
- 2023 DL Hunter Osborne
- 2023 CB Branden Strozier
- 2023 LB Jamal Anderson
- 2023 DL Keldric Faulk
- 2023 CB Braxton Myers
2023 DL TJ Searcy is also expected to attend.
2023 DT Jamaal Jarrett told All Clemson that he was hoping to get to Clemson for an official visit in June, but that nothing had been set in stone as of yet.
"I'm waiting on my coach to give me the football schedule," he said. "It's probably going to be sometime in June because we have no practice on the weekends. I can knock them out on the weekend. I'm definitely gonna try and figure something out."
Speaking of Jarrett, expect to see the SI All-American candidate from Grimsley, N.C. drop his list of finalists sometime this week.
2023 LB target Tony Rojas is set to trim his list down to four finalists this weekend. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound prospect picked up an offer from the Tigers while visiting for Junior Day in early March, then also returned to campus for one of the final practices of the spring. He has 25 offers, with Penn State also pushing hard.
2023 OL targets Sullivan Absher and Monroe Freeling are scheduled to be in South Bend this weekend for the Notre Dame spring game.
The Tigers, who went 10-3 in 2021 and finished 14th in the final Associated Press Poll, are the fourth team on FanDuel Sportsbook's list to win it all in 2022.
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