CLEMSON – The Clemson Tigers are building up reinforcements on the offensive line with commitments in both the 2024 and 2025 classes, but Dabo Swinney and his staff made early strides for a high school sophomore over the weekend.

2026 offensive lineman Kail Ellis made the trip to Death Valley to see Clemson take down No. 12 Notre Dame. The Cartersville, Ga. product already holds 13 Division-I offers and there’s a strong chance the Tigers will join that list next summer.

Following his unofficial visit, Ellis spoke to The Clemson Insider about his experience. He was impressed by the whole weekend, and the traditions stood out to him.

“This weekend was amazing, to the game and atmosphere to the tour of the campus,” Ellis said. “It was absolutely electric. The fans are amazing and very passionate. The traditions in Death Valley are great.”

While he was in Clemson, Ellis built a connection with offensive line coach Thomas Austin, whose expertise was crucial in landing the Tigers’ commitments over the next two classes.

“Talking with Coach Austin was great, he knows a lot and I am very excited to continue this great relationship with him,” Ellis said.

The schedule that Clemson handles their recruiting cycles is very uniform, and Ellis’ class in 2026 won’t be offered until June as previously mentioned. When talking to the coaching staff, Ellis said that they reiterated to him that he will be “high on their list” and likely one of the first offered.

That’s something that Ellis is waiting excitedly for, and it will mean a lot to him once it’s official.

“That offer will mean the world. I’ve always had a thing for Clemson and I would love to play there,” Ellis said. “Clemson is very high on my list after my first game in Death Valley. I was very impressed.”