CLEMSON — Last fall, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said Juju Preston was in the “crockpot,” developing.

The former three-star recruit, who signed with the Tigers as part of the 2025 recruiting class, redshirted last season, while appearing in two games. The 6-foot wideout dealt with injury early, but has been fully healthy throughout the spring and immersed in learning the new offense being installed by Chad Morris.

“It’s been great,” Preston said. “Learning new things, you are always going to have a little bit of trouble with it. But overall, I feel like Coach Morris, he mapped out a plan for us, and everything was great. It was good.”

“I felt the spring was very productive on both sides of the ball.”

As a member of the White team in Saturday’s spring game, Preston logged a lot of snaps, recording both passes thrown his way for 24 yards.

“I thought it was amazing that all the fans came out to watch us play,” Preston added. “The atmosphere was great for it just to be a spring game. I appreciate everybody who came out to support us.”

And over the past few weeks, he’s seen a lot of buy-in when it comes to the new offense.

“Everybody was committed. They were all in,” Preston said. “I saw them putting in the extra work, in the meeting rooms and everything.”

Preston was credited with 185 receptions for 3,700 yards and 67 touchdowns during his prep career. He is the all-time receiving touchdown leader in Virginia state history.

A former three-star recruit, Preston transferred to Hayfield Secondary School for his senior season in 2024 after helping Freedom High School to the Class 6 VHSL State Championships in 2022 and 2023, going 28-0 over those two seasons. He left Freedom as its all-time receiving leader after only three years.

Where Preston fits into a crowded wide receiver room that features players like Bryant Wesco, T.J. Moore, Cole Turner and Tyler Brown, as well as talented freshmen Naeem Burroughs, Gordon Sellers and Connor Salmin, is yet to be determined.

But he’s still in that crockpot cooking, and after adding 15 pounds to his wiry frame during his first year in the program, he’s looking to add 15 more before the start of the season.

“Now I am up to 160,” Preston said. “I am trying to be 175 before the season.