TCI Recruiting Roundup: Summer Officials Haven’t Yielded Same Results in 2024
By: Jason Priester July 9, 2024

For years, Dabo Swinney elected not host official visits during the summer months.

With the recruiting landscape rapidly changing in recent years and summer officials playing crucial roles for a majority of recruits, Swinney adapted and started hosting summer officials in 2022. However, unlike many other schools, Clemson chooses to hold one big event, the first weekend in June, instead of hosting targets on different weekends throughout the month.

For the first two years, the event was wildly successful. In 2022, the Tigers hosted 27 uncommitted targets and would wind up landing 14 commitments. Last year, Clemson secured eight commitments from the 20 uncommitted targets on hand.

This year, there were 17 uncommitted prospects on hand, and so far, just two have committed to Clemson. 4-star OL Rowan Byrne and 4-star CB Graceson Littleton both announced in early June.

2024 Official Visitors Guest List

  • 5-star OL David Sanders (Uncommitted)
  • 4-star OL Mario Nash Jr (Mississippi State)
  • 4-star OL Max Buchanan (Miami)
  • 4-star Hardy Watts* (Wisconsin)
  • 3-star OL Mal Waldrep (Alabama)
  • 3-star OL Rowan Byrne (Committed)
  • 4-star WR Cortez Mills (Oklahoma)
  • 4-star WR Samari Reed (Ole Miss)
  • 4-star DE Bryce Davis (Uncommitted)
  • 4-star DT Christian Garrett (Georgia)
  • 3-star DT Walter Mathis (Uncommitted)
  • 4-star LB Kamar Archie (Rutgers)
  • 4-star S Jordan Young (Uncommitted))
  • 4-star S Anquon Fegans (Uncommitted)
  • 4-star CB Graceson Littleton* (Committed)
  • 4-star CB Gregory “Zae” Thomas (Florida State)
  • 3-star CB Donovan Starr (Auburn)

*Littleton and Watts did not technically visit that weekend. Both came in on that Sunday and stayed through early Tuesday.

While five of the players on hand still remain uncommitted, Clemson is still pursuing DE Bryce Davis and S Jordan Young. Davis will announce on July 20, with the Tigers battling out with Georgia. Young is set to announce on October 12 and Clemson appears to be well-positioned in that one.

OL David Sanders will announce in August, with the Tigers failing to make his list of four finalists. Walter Mathis and Anquon Feagans are both expected to head elsewhere as well.

That means, best case scenario, Clemson lands just four of the 17 uncommitted targets on hand for the big official visit weekend. That is just a 24-percent hit rate. It was 52-percent in 2022 and 40-percent last year, so we have seen a substantial drop this summer.

Next up is the All-In Cookout later this month, with 4-star WR Dillon Alfred and 4-star LB Logan Anderson both set to be on hand for the event.

Clemson’s 2025 class currently features 13 commitments and after coming out of the spring ranked firmly inside the Top 5 by multiple recruiting services, the class is now ranked No. 14 by both On3 and 247 Sports.

A limited number of signed footballs from Clemson’s 2022 class are still available.  Get yours while supplies last!  Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!