Clemson has long been known for recruiting from a small pool of talent.
Look no further than the quarterback position in the 2027 recruiting class as a prime example.
Clemson just started offering rising juniors two weeks ago, and so far, just one quarterback offer has gone out. Four-star Peyton Houston was the recipient after killing it during a workout at Dabo Swinney’s high school camp.
“It’s a blessing, honestly, knowing that they think I am the best quarterback in the class,” Houston recently told The Clemson Insider. “I am just so blessed knowing the process that it took to get this offer from Clemson. It means a lot for sure.”
Sometimes, the Tigers have offered two quarterbacks, with it basically being a first-come, first-served type of deal. However, in 2026 and now 2027, the staff has started things out by offering just one. Last year, it was four-star Tait Reynolds, who committed a short time later.
While Houston isn’t expected to shut things down quite as quickly as Reynolds did, he has said he might have a decision before the end of the year.
As a sophomore, Houston totaled 5,170 yards of total offense. His 4,480 passing yards are a 5A record in the state of Louisiana and he also set an NFHS record with 817 passing yards in one game. Houston was a sophomore MaxPreps All-American and first-team All-State.
Rivals ranks Houston No. 44 overall, No. 6 among all quarterbacks in the class and No. 5 in his state.
If the Tigers are forced to expand the board at a certain point, there are a few other names worth watching. Four-star Trent Seaborn was another rising junior who had an extremely strong workout at camp. Seaborn has close to three dozen offers, with some of the most notable programs in the country in pursuit.
Another is four-star Keegan Croucher, who probably had the strongest arm of any quarterback that worked out at camp this year. Michigan, Oregon, Nebraska and Ole Miss are just a few of his more than a dozen offers at this point.
Four-star Teddy Jarrard also worked out at camp this summer and was awfully sharp. Jarrard holds more than 30 offers, including Georgia, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan and Miami.
“They love my game, and they love how I play,” Jarrard recently told TCI. “Coach Swinney basically told me that I would fit perfectly in at Clemson. That I check all the boxes is what he said.”
Photo courtesy of Bart Boatwright