Brayton Feister absolutely stands out in a crowd.
The four-star ATH and member of the 2027 recruiting class made his first trip to Clemson earlier this month, attending Dabo Swinney’s high school camp. Linebackers coach Ben Boulware made a stop by his high school (Archbishop Hoban, Akron, OH) and invited Feister to come work out.
“Coach Boulware came up and visited me at our school,” Feister told The Clemson Insider. “That put them on the map for me. I was like, I got to get there and experience this place.”
It was a visit that made an impression, despite the southern heat.
“I loved it, beautiful place,” Feister added. “The weather is definitely different with that kind of heat down there. Nothing I could not get used to. Incredible tradition, great people, great coaching. Everything they stand for, I really like it.”
Feister also came away impressed with Boulware, who is in his first year as a full-time assistant.
“A very headstrong coach, very impressive,” he said. “I love it. Very nice guy. He is easy to learn from. He really helps you understand what he is trying to teach you. I really like that part.”
Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 235 pounds, Feister is easy to spot. He is a physical specimen. As a Top 150 prospect and two-way player, he already sports close to two dozen offers, including Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, Ohio State and Southern Cal.
Clemson is recruiting Feister as an ATH, and on his first day, he worked out at linebacker before heading over to the running backs so CJ Spiller could also get a look at him.
“Coach Boulware mentioned something to coach Spiller about me playing running back and being a pretty good one,” Feister said. “So he watched my film, and was like, ‘Yeah, I want him to come work out with us.’ So, the first day I was down there, I worked out with linebackers, and the second day I went to work out at running back, and coach Spiller loved it. He liked how versatile I was and how big I was. They told me to just keep working.”
Southern Cal, Oregon and Penn State are some of the schools Feister says are currently recruiting him the hardest. While his relationship with Clemson is still in the early stages, he feels confident that the staff liked what they saw. He is hoping to get back to campus for the season opener against LSU.
“They mentioned that I check all the boxes that they are looking for in a Clemson player,” Feister said. “You just want to keep building that relationship because they only give out committable offers. They don’t just hand them out, which I respect. Again, just got to keep building that relationship.”
Despite the fact that he is yet to begin his junior season, Feister is already a two-time MaxPreps All-American. He ranks No. 123 overall at 247 Sports and No. 6 among all ATHs.
While his recruitment is really starting to heat up, as evidenced by the number of recent offers that include Arizona State, Colorado, Penn State, Louisville and Oregon, Feister is hoping to add one from Clemson, even if he has to wait a little longer.
“It would definitely be very special, a true blessing,” Feister said. “That is another opportunity to play at the next level and achieve my goals. But it would be pretty surreal, especially coming from that kind of college. It would definitely tell me I am a different kind of player and one that they are looking for.”
Photo courtesy of Dawson Powers