One of Clemson’s top tight end targets was back on campus last weekend.
2026 prospect Tayveon Wilson (Huntington Prep, WV) was on hand for the Tigers’ 40-14 win over Stanford.
Wilson made the trip with his mother and a friend and due to the impact of Hurricane Helene, what is normally a six hour drive for him turned into eight. However, this is a trip that had been scheduled for quite some time and Wilson was determined to make it.
“The atmosphere was definitely something that stood out,” Wilson told The Clemson Insider. “It was amazing. I didn’t expect it to be that loud and have that many people show up, considering that many people, including coaches, were out of power.”
“Then I was right beside the players running down the hill pregame. So that was an amazing experience. I was right beside the rock.”
Despite the extra time it took to arrive on campus, Wilson still made it well ahead of kickoff and was able to spend some quality time with a number of coaches.
“I talked to a lot of coaches,” Wilson said. “I didn’t expect to get to talk to a lot of coaches. I thought with them being out of power, they’d just be focused on the game. They couldn’t go home that night, so they’re just locked in and ready. But actually, talked to a lot of them.”
However, it was tight ends coach Kyle Richardson that he spent most of his time with.
“Before the game my time was spent with coach Richardson,” Wilson added. “I got there around 330-4, and then he took me up to a sort of academic’s coordinator counselor. She just walked me through my path, what I can major in, what field I want to go into. And then after that, Coach Richardson, we went down to the stadium and we ate and we went on the field pregame.”
Wilson currently has more than a dozen offers. Louisville, Illinois, West Virginia, Miami and Penn State are some of the more notable ones. He picked up his offer from the Tigers back in June after a very impressive showing at Dabo Swinney’s high school camp. He was the first tight end in his class to pick up an offer and is still just one of two players at the position to hold one.
After seeing the Clemson offense really start to click over the past few games, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound recruit likes what he sees, and could see himself fitting nicely into Garrett Riley’s system.
“They definitely distribute the ball well to the tight ends,” Wilson said. “Two of them got in the end zone, they scored touchdowns. I liked how they widen out Briningstool sometimes in the slot. That’s where I’m playing. So, I could see myself filling those shoes. And yeah, I like the offense. I play a lot of slot, but occasionally they’ll bump me into tight end or H-back.”
Wilson has also taken game day visits to West Virginia and Virginia Tech. As of now, he has no others planned, although he may try and get to Penn State and Michigan before the end of the season.
While there is no firm timeline for making a decision, one doesn’t appear too far off. Wilson said he “definitely” wants to commit before the summer and possibly as soon as the end of this season.
“I’m a student athlete, so academics definitely come first for me,” Wilson said. “I’m looking for a college where I can pursue what I want to be after football ends. Because I can’t play football forever. So, colleges that have a major that I have interest in.”
And with this latest visit, Wilson said Clemson definitely helped themselves.
“They definitely jumped up, so I would say without a doubt, in my top five, Wilson said.”
“With football, Clemson obviously has a great program. They’ve won championships. And the coaching staff, I love them. The connection I’ve built with them having been six hours away, it’s pretty, pretty good considering we just text and have phone calls and can’t see each other in person that often.”
A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!
