Is the race for Clemson’s lone quarterback spot in the 2028 class already over?

Less than a week ago, four-star Trace Hawkins released a list of his six finalists, and then on Monday, he set a commitment date, as he is set to announce on Thursday. That’s a pretty quick turnaround.

Hawkins’ list of finalists includes Clemson, LSU, Vanderbilt, Duke, Virginia Tech and Kentucky. However, it’s LSU and Clemson that have been leading the charge since both offered during the month of June.

Hawkins is one of two quarterbacks the Tigers offered last month, coming off Dabo Swinney’s high school camp, with three-star Trey Wright being the other target. Wright also named his Top 12 schools during the last week, and just three days ago, we were writing that the race was now on for Clemson’s lone quarterback spot in the class. Well, that race looks like it could already be over.

“It felt great, honestly,” Hawkins recently told TCI about his Clemson offer. “It was just a blessing. Making it even better, coach Swinney called me. That means that they truly want this to work. It was just great.”

Almost as soon as Hawkins announced his commitment date, predictions to Clemson started coming in. After speaking with a source late Monday, I also feel pretty good about the Tigers’ chances of being the choice on Thursday.

If Hawkins does indeed announce a commitment to Clemson, this would mark the third consecutive class in which the Tigers had their quarterback locked up by the end of July. The 6-foot signal-caller would also represent Clemson’s first 2028 commitment, meaning the Tigers can literally build the class around their quarterback.

The blue-chip talent has been on the radar for quite some time, first visiting last fall for the Duke game. He then visited for the spring game in March, before returning for the Spring Elite Day in April. So, his camp appearance was his fourth time visiting.

247 ranks Hawkins as the 16th-best quarterback in the class. As a sophomore last season, Hawkins passed for 2,442 yards and 24 touchdowns with just three interceptions. He also added another 153 yards via his legs, with three more scores on 31 rushing attempts.

“I see myself fitting pretty good,” Hawkins also told TCI. “They like to use the quarterback a lot, and they like to throw it, and that is what I like to do, so I can see myself fitting in really well.”