The Clemson Insider reviews the offensive members of Clemson’s 2017 signing class:
Matt Bockhorst, OL, Cincinnati, Ohio (St. Xavier HS)
Ht/Wt: 6-5, 300
About Bockhorst: Bockhorst was rated as a top-200 prospect by many of the major recruiting services in 2016. The 2016 Under Armour All-American didn’t play his senior season due to a torn ACL suffered during The Opening finals in Oregon in July, but he continues to progress in his rehab. He was a first-team all-state performer as a junior and was a 4.0 student through his high school career. He committed to Clemson on Jan. 30, 2016, and became the first Clemson signee from the state of Ohio since Cole Stoudt in 2011.
Chase Brice, QB, Grayson, Ga. (Grayson HS)
Ht/Wt: 6-3, 200
About Brice: Brice led Grayson to its second state championship in school history in 2016 as he completed 173 of 269 passes for 2,830 yards and 33 touchdowns against just three interceptions. His completion percentage was .643 and his passing efficiency was 190.9. He was a four-year starter and compiled a 40-7 career record. A national top-200 prospect by Rivals, Brice threw for 7,977 yards during his career while completing 524 of 848 passing attempts. His uncle, Mickey Conn, was recently promoted to co-defensive backs coach at Clemson.
Noah DeHond, OL, Rochester, N.Y. (Peddie School)
Ht/Wt: 6-7, 315
About DeHond: One of the largest signees in Clemson history, DeHond was rated as a top-10 prospect in New Jersey by MaxPreps (third), Rivals (ninth) and 247 (10th). He spent the last two years at Peddie, where he was a team captain, all-state selection and all-conference and all-area performer. Prior to that, he played at McQuaid Jesuit High in New York. He chose Clemson over Alabama and North Carolina.
Travis Etienne, RB, Jennings, La. (Jennings HS)
Ht/Wt: 5-11, 210
About Etienne: The first time Dabo Swinney talked to Etienne was 10 days before signing day. Clemson jumped on him during the stretch run of the recruiting cycle after the de-commitment of Cordarrian Richardson in late December, offering him on Jan. 12. He committed on Jan. 26 over in-state LSU and others before signing just six days later. A top-115 overall prospect and top-15 running back nationally by ESPN, Etienne rushed for 7,518 yards and 103 touchdowns in 42 career games. That includes 2,459 rushing yards and 35 rushing touchdowns on just 211 carries as a senior, an 11.7 yards-per-rush figure. He recorded over 100 yards rushing in 12 of 13 games during his final year and more than 200 yards in six games, while he had at least one touchdown in every game and multiple touchdowns in 10 games. Etienne was a three-time all-district performer, and he is the first Clemson signee from the state of Louisiana since Nick Watkins in 2003.
Tee Higgins, WR, Oak Ridge, Tenn. (Oak Ridge HS)
Ht/Wt: 6-4, 190
About Higgins: Rated as the No. 18 prospect in the nation by ESPN, the No. 19 prospect nationally by 247 and the No. 40 overall prospect by Scout, Higgins is Clemson’s highest-rated signee according to those recruiting services. He was a second-team USA Today All-American and played in the Under Armour All-American Game as a senior after racking up 68 receptions for 1,044 yards and 18 touchdowns. He was a two-time Mr. Football winner in the state of Tennessee’s 5A classification. He had 46 receptions for 841 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior after logging 23 catches for 387 yards and six scores as a sophomore. He started as a freshman, becoming the first player at his high school to do so since 2002. The outstanding two-sport athlete was named a finalist for Mr. Basketball in Tennessee as a junior. He committed to Clemson on July 4, 2016, over Tennessee, Ohio State, Florida State and Alabama.
Hunter Johnson, QB, Brownsburg, Ind. (Brownsburg HS)
Ht/Wt: 6-4, 200
About Johnson: Johnson, rated as the top quarterback in the nation by ESPN, enrolled in January. The best player in the state of Indiana, he was named Mr. Football as a senior in 2016 when he went 166-of-318 passing for 2,233 yards and 25 touchdowns while also rushing for 525 yards and three scores. He was later named MVP of the U.S. Army All-American Game. A three-year starter at Brownsburg, Johnson amassed 6,657 yards passing and 69 touchdowns for his career on a 496-of-964 completion clip. Johnson earned IFCA and AP all-state honors as a junior and senior. The underrated athlete was also an all-state track performer in the spring of 2016. He is the first Clemson signee from the state of Indiana on record.
Amari Rodgers, WR, Knoxville, Tenn. (Knoxville Catholic HS)
Ht/Wt: 5-10, 195
About Rodgers: Like Higgins, Rodgers won two Mr. Football awards in the state of Tennessee at the 4A level and also played in the Under Armour All-American Game. He was rated as a top-100 prospect by ESPN and the country’s No. 104 prospect by 247. For his career, Rodgers had 3,498 receiving yards and 47 touchdowns. He averaged 31 yards per reception as a senior, when he recorded 40 catches for 1,238 yards and 18 scores. He also had seven 100-yard receiving games as a senior, including two with at least 200 yards. Rodgers, the son of Southern Cal offensive coordinator Tee Martin, selected Clemson over Florida, Alabama and Georgia when he committed on Feb. 14, 2016.
Will Swinney, WR, Clemson, S.C. (Daniel HS)
Ht/Wt: 5-9, 175
About Swinney: The son of Dabo Swinney, Will was the top receiver at Daniel High School, leading the team with 48 catches, 603 receiving yards and six scores during his senior year. He accounted for over 900 all-purpose yards including kick returns. He was a team captain, the team’s offensive MVP and was named to the all-region team. As a junior, he had 33 receptions for 420 yards and five touchdowns. In addition to his four years of football, he played four years of baseball and two years of basketball. He is a candidate to replace Seth Ryan as Clemson’s holder next season.
Blake Vinson, OL, Ocala, Fla. (North Marion HS)
Ht/Wt: 6-5, 300
About Vinson: Vinson, who enrolled early in January, was rated as the No. 14 prospect in the region by Scout. He earned acclaim at The Opening regional in Charlotte for playing all five offensive line positions before being chosen for The Opening finals in Oregon. Vinson underwent surgery over the summer for a torn labrum in his shoulder suffered during spring practice prior to his senior season, but like Bockhorst, he continues to progress in his recovery. He committed to Clemson on Jan. 31, 2016, over more than 20 other offers.