Clemson Football Recruiting Update

Although, February 1st was officially Signing Day, the Clemson Tigers wrapped up their signing class back in December during the Early Signing Period as they usually do. Clemson inked 26 players to Letters of Intent which was the most since 2019. It pushed Clemson to 88 scholarships with three former walk-ons who were awarded scholarships last season putting them temporarily over the 85 scholarship limit. I asked STS recruiting analyst Tommy Kulkis about the roster management and we both saw this as a positive development with some very selective transfer portal takes (likely next season) being the next step.

Peter Woods and Chris Vizzina headlined the 2023 class. Woods is a huge win for this class. His commitment helped DT Coach Nick Eason earn the title of best recruiter in the ACC per 247. Tommy Kulkis calls it the “most impressive recruiting win of the Dabo Swinney era.” He also likes Chris Vizzina, but feels the move to add Paul Tyson makes sense because Vizzina may need a year or two to develop before he can be relied upon in a big spot. He also loves the offensive line class Clemson landed. Overall, he grades the class a B+ and suggests this is about what Clemson fans should expect moving forward.

South Carolina has put together a solid 2023 recruiting class and holds a top 10 class in the early going for 2024. I believe they’ve got some good momentum going and could become a tougher rival in the years ahead. Tommy has bigger doubts about the Gamecocks.

Finally, Tommy shares some names to look for in 2024. In particular, with QB Walker White choosing Auburn over Clemson, he suggests that they will look to Jake Merklinger from Savannah, GA. Marcos Davila, currently committed to TCU is another probable option.