What 4-Star QB Trace Hawkins Brings to Clemson

Four-star quarterback Trace Hawkins has committed to the Clemson Tigers, per multiple reports on Thursday evening.

The 6-foot, 180-pound signal-caller has quickly emerged as one of the Tigers’ top targets on the recruiting trail, and will be the first commit in the team’s 2028 high school class.

Hawkins led Calhoun High School (Ga.) to a 12-3 record and AAA state title as a freshman in 2024. His 231 total yards and touchdown scored in the title game earned him MVP honors. It was Calhoun’s 5th state championship in program history, and first since 2017.

After watching Hawkins’ tape from his freshman and sophomore years at Calhoun, here’s what stands out about his game.

Pocket Presence

Hawkins’ comfort in the pocket will set him up well at the next level. Oftentimes in high school football, quarterbacks who are Power Four-level athletes look to the first passing read, then immediately begin scrambling.

Hawkins has shown the ability to make multi-level reads at a high level, before then looking to make a play with his legs. That trait will come in handy in a Clemson offense that should have improved offensive line play under Matt Luke in the coming years.

In this example, Hawkins does a great job of finding a soft spot in the pocket, doesn’t panic, and finds his post route open for a touchdown. Instead of bailing on a mostly clean pocket, he kept his eyes downfield. That’s something Clemson fans should be excited to see from a prospect who still has two seasons of high school football to develop.

Elusiveness

Though Hawkins is no Lamar Jackson in the open field, he’s a gifted quarterback who can make defenders miss. Physically, he fits the mold of a modern pocket passer, where the position requires more mobility than ever before. His traits are similar to those of three-year starter Cade Klubnik, whose above-average mobility and creativity had scouts excited about his future. He’s not a five-star prospect like Klubnik was, but there’s a loose connection between the two’s games.

Like Klubnik, Hawkins’ value as a runner comes from his ability to keep plays alive, rather than blaze past defenses for chunk plays. He has the awareness and pocket presence to sense pressure and evade pass rushers. A 15-point-per-game scorer for the basketball team at Calhoun, that natural athleticism can be seen on the gridiron as well.

Footwork

The area that Hawkins has improved the most on during his high school career is his footwork in the pocket. Though there are times where he overstrides on throws farther down the field, he’s shored that area of his game up tremendously. As he develops in his final two seasons at Calhoun, that footwork will an area to monitor.

On this touchdown from this past season against Westminster, Hawkins does a great job of reading the field from left to right, maintaining a strong base, and then delivering a perfect throw on target. The receiver doesn’t have to slow down and can turn upfield immediately, leading to a touchdown.

Clemson Tigers on SI will continue to monitor Clemson’s recruiting efforts in the class of 2028 and beyond.

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