CLEMSON — In his first full recruiting cycle as the Clemson offensive line coach, all Matt Luke did was go out and sign what might be the best group of linemen in the country.
The Tigers signed six offensive linemen on Wednesday, with all but one ranking as four-star prospects. Three-star Braden Wilmes is the only exception, and even he spent some time during the cycle ranked as a four-star by at least one of the services.
2026 OL Signees
- Four-star Grant Wise
- Four-star Chance Barclay
- Four-star Adam Guthrie
- Four-star Leo Delaney
- Four-star Carter Scruggs
- Three-star Braden Wilmes
With players like Tristan Leigh, Walker Parks, Blake Miller and Ryan Linthicum all exhausting their eligibility after this season, Luke needed to hit on some big-time targets, and that is exactly what he did.
Looking at these six players, two things stand out. Size and athleticism. Four of them are already at the 6-foot-5 or taller mark. Wilmes is 6-foot-8 and Guthrie is 6-foot-7. And all six move extremely well for their size, which isn’t something we have always been able to say about offensive linemen at Clemson.
Wise is a state power-lifting champ, while Barclay was a Player of the Year in his area in 2024. Delaney, who missed most of his senior season with an injury, has been a part of multiple state title teams.
Scruggs and Wilmes are both multi-time all-state honorees, with Guthrie being a two-sport standout who also excels on the hardwood.
Five of the six are expected to be early enrollees, with the lone exception being Guthrie, who will stay in school to play one final season of basketball.
While it’s not easy for an offensive lineman to come in and make an immediate impact as a freshman, we’ve seen some examples of that happening in recent years at Clemson. Brayden Jacobs ended up winning a starting job this season before suffering an injury at Louisville, and Blake Miller earned the starting gig at right tackle as a freshman.
There’s no guarantee that any of these six come in and start right away, but it’s a safe bet that most will make an impact at some point. And it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see more than one do it sooner rather than later.
Photo by Bart Boatwright