Clemson hosted a number of high-profile recruits on Saturday night during the season-opening loss to LSU.
One of the bigger names on hand, was 2028 five-star DE Asher Ghioto (Bolles School, FL). The 6-foot-5, 245-pound prospect is teammates with current Clemson WR commit Naeem Burroughs, with the duo coming to town together, along with two other teammates, 2028 QB Luke Toland and 2027 WR Camden Tietze.
With it being a night game, and the quartet arriving in town early in the day, they all spent some time jetskiing on Lake Keowee before heading over to campus.
Ghioto’s parents also made the trip. something that did not happen when he camped at Clemson back in June, and the blue-chip talent made sure they experienced as much as possible.
“It went awesome,” Ghioto told The Clemson Insider. “We walked around town a little bit. Then we hopped on a golf cart and did a tour again, because this time my parents went with me. Wanted to give them the feel of everything.”
Once he was on campus, Ghioto spent some time with Burroughs and wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham, before making his way over to defensive ends coach Chris Rumph. The two ended up spending a lot of time together.
“I went and hung out with coach Rumph for maybe a whole hour,” Ghioto said. “We were watching the Ohio State game together. We were just talking about life. We ate downstairs in the facility. Him telling me I am his number one bumped them up very high for me.”
Next came the real fun. Ghioto was able to meet both Deandre Hopkins and Tee Higgins, while also experiencing Tiger Walk, before heading in for all of the pregame festivities. And that is when he realized exactly how electric an atmosphere at Clemson can be. It was so loud, he said his ears were still “hurting” late Sunday.
“That’s when it was really cool,” Ghioto added. “We got to see the Tiger Walk. That was pretty awesome, definitely a really cool experience. But the environment was awesome, and the atmosphere was crazy. That was one of the loudest games, if not the loudest, I’ve been to.”
It was a visit that really made an impression. At the same time, it was one that only reinforced what he thought he already knew about the culture Dabo Swinney has created. Ghioto isn’t all that concerned that the staff has yet to start offering players in his class. In fact, seeing how he’s being recruited, he feels like he already has one.
“The staff is what really keeps me enjoying that school,” he said. “Just how committed to the people they recruit. A lot of people will say they come in late and they aren’t really going to focus on them, but they do it for a reason. They do it when they feel the time is right. Even right now, while we are building this relationship, it is as if I have an offer.”
Ghioto is not only one of the top defensive linemen in his class, he is one of the top prospects, regardless of position. He already has more than 40 offers and ranks No. 16 overall in the 247 Composite Rankings.
The elite-level talent is also planning game day visits to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Miami. He absolutely plans to be back at Clemson, but that next visit might not come until after his season.
“I think honestly what would benefit me more is going to see a practice and spending a couple of days, maybe some break time that I have, maybe a week there,” Ghioto said. “What does a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday look like. Really seeing that would benefit me.”
While some might think Clemson suffering a disappointing loss while he was in town would sour him on the program, that isn’t the case at all. Ghioto is even higher on the Tigers now than he was before the weekend.
“It doesn’t sway me even a millimeter,” Ghioto said. “Even if they were to have a bad season, which they won’t, that still wouldn’t sway me from where they stand with me. One game doesn’t do absolutely anything with me. The bounceback is going to be very good. I can feel it. They are going to have a great season.”
Ghioto is a firm believer in what Swinney has built in Clemson. The culture really aligns with what he’s looking for. The emphasis on development, not just on the field, but also off of it, really resonates. Not to mention how loyal Swinney is to his players.
All of that has made Clemson a legitimate contender in this one.
“He does a phenomenal job,” Ghioto said. “A lot of schools don’t do it that way. They treat commits differently there, and that is a good thing. They treat them like they are already on the team. You go in the locker room pregame, halftime, you see them all over the place. They were just there. Treated very well, not like normal recruits. He is going to treat his guys like his guys, no matter if they are on the team or waiting to be on the team. Didn’t matter if they had five-stars, four-stars, three-stars, no-stars, he treats them the same. That is what I love about him. Everything they stand for there is just perfect in my opinion.”
Photo by Bart Boatwright