Three Historic College Football Programs Heavily Linked to Nation's No. 2 TE

The battles of the 2027 recrtuiting class are tightening up, and one top tight end prospect is narrowing in on a trio of top programs as potential landing spots. With top prospects preparing for unofficial and official visits, the time to gain on top talent is now.

That's certainly the case for a program like Clemson. The Tigers have fallen short of their usual standards in recent years and with Dabo Swinney relatively reluctant about working in the transfer portal, any slack the Tigers will pick up needs to be in the freshman class.

Clemson Impresses Dollar

Tight end Jaxon Dollar of North Carolina is a high-profile recruit who the Tigers have impressed. Dollar, who is 6'3" and 220 pounds and a multi-sports athlete, is currently the No. 2 national tight end recruit and the No. 23 overall player in the entire 2027 class according to the recent Rivals300. Clemson made an impression on Dollar on their recent Elite Day and could be a significant player in his recruitment.

Jaxon Dollar checks a ton of boxes as a TE prospect
- 1,190 rec. yards, 20 TD as a Jr
- 13 TFL, 5 sacks on defense
- One of the best HS basketball players in NC: 20.9 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 6.5 APG with electric bounce
Industry Comparison: https://t.co/1wExxlXlv4 pic.twitter.com/l36ypb5Oxh
— Charles Power (@CharlesPower) February 24, 2026

Steve Wiltfong reported on a recent Rivals podcast that Dollar related that his visit had gone really well and that the Clemson coaches had made him feel really wanted. "He thinks he could help get Clemson back where they used to be," stated Wiltfong.

Dollar's Other Top Schools

While Clemson impressed, Dollar has an impressive roster of schools recruiting him. Wiltfong noted Notre Dame and Georgia as two other schools in which he is particularly interested. Rivals also has Dollar slated for unofficial visits to Missouri, Oregon, and Texas. Dollar has also taken a pair of unofficial visits to North Carolina, but may have cooled on his local school.

Recruiting Overview from Dollar's Top Schools

Clemson is currently No. 16 in the current Rivals Industry team rankings. The Tigers have already claimed six commitments for the 2027 class, with three four-star and three three-star recruits. The top recruit from Rivals' own rankings is linebacker Bryce Kish of Michigan, who Rivals places No. 60 nationally. But Rivals' industry rankings place QB Kharim Hughley of Georgia atop the Clemson commit rankings.

Georgia and Notre Dame rank fifth and sixth in the team recruiting rankings. The Bulldogs have taken six commitments, while the Irish have nabbed seven commits. Georgia's class is headlined by five-star running back Kemon Spell, considered the top back in the nation. CB Donte Wright is two spots ahead of Dollar in the RIvals300 at No. 21 nationally.

Notre Dame has three top 100 Rivals commitments, with two cornerbacks and one offensive lineman pacing the class so far. None of the three main schools indicated by Dollar have taken any commitments from tight ends, with Rivals' No. 1 national tight end, Seneca Driver, having recently committed to Oklahoma. Dollar's recruitment could be one to watch in the months ahead.

Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman are very much in contention for tight end standout Jaxon Dollar. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images