CLEMSON — One of the top 2028 tight ends in North Carolina was in Clemson last weekend.
Henry Evans (Rolesville, NC) made his first-ever game day visit for the Tigers’ comeback win over Troy.
“Clemson is awesome. I loved it,” Evans told The Clemson Insider. “From the atmosphere to the facilities, to the coaches, it was just an unbelievable experience for me and my family.”
Evans got to spend some time with assistant quarterbacks coach Tajh Boyd and running backs coach CJ Spiller.
‘I spent a good bit of time with coach boyd and coach spiller,” Evans said. “Made a connection with them for sure. Spent a lot of time talking. Coach Spiller came to spring ball at my school, so I met him earlier in the year. Got to talk to coach Boyd about how my season is going so far. Things like that. He’s a great guy.”
During the visit, Evans paid a lot of attention to the different types of tight ends currently on the roster, noting how each player, from Olsen Patt-Henry to Ian Schieffelin, brings a little something different to the table.
And after getting to watch the Tigers’ offense in person, Evans sees himself fitting right in.
“I see myself fitting in very well,” Evans said. “I saw they used H-backs. They fit them in the backfield sometimes. I definitely picked up on the different variations of builds that they have in the tight ends room. Their starting tight end, I saw he was a dog. They have guys like him, and they have guys like No. 18. He is a big dude. I liked the range they have. All the way from 6-foot-2 to 6-foot-7.”
While he’s still early in the process, Evans has made previous stops at Notre Dame, Penn State, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Purdue, North Carolina and Duke. Some of those visits came back in the summer.
Purdue, Penn State, Florida, Miami, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt are the schools he says are showing the most early interest. Evans’ brother is currently a student at Virginia Tech.
The other school that Evans mentioned as showing a lot of interest is Clemson, and he felt it last weekend.
“They showed a lot of love and made me feel welcome,” he said. “It is an easy place to feel at home. I loved the commitment that they have to Jesus Christ. They spoke a lot about that. They love you more than just for football. I loved going to the rehab facility, seeing what they have. Some schools have this, some have that, but Clemson has everything you could want in a school from that standpoint.”
One of the biggest things that stood out to the 6-foot-3, 210-pound tight end was the culture inside the program.
“I like the part where they said they don’t force you to leave, to go get in the portal,” Evans said. “They don’t really get guys from the portal. It shows when you are there, they love you for the player you are and who you really are. They are really going to develop you while you are there.”
Per MaxPreps, Evans has three catches for 27 yards and a touchdown through the early part of the season.
While most schools are already doing so, Clemson won’t start handing out offers to members of the 2028 class until next summer. It’s process that has been explained to Evans and one he respects.
However, at some point in the future, an offer from the Tigers is one Evans would love to have.
“That would mean the world to me,” Evans said. “Seeing a program that is run in such a top-of-the-line demeanor, believe in me, and want me to come to their program, that would mean a lot to me and my family, as well.”
Photo by Bart Boatwright