When Clemson assistant Tyler Grisham made a stop at The Boiles School in Florida last week, he ran into a familiar face.

While the Tigers’ wide receivers coach was there to check in on some 2027 prospects, he also happened to bump into current sophomore Asher Ghioto, a five-star defensive lineman that Clemson has been showing a lot of interest in early on.

While the two were talking, an interesting topic came up. Ghioto has been toying with the idea of reclassifying up to the 2027 recruiting class. While it’s not something he’s talked much about publicly, the staff at Clemson has been aware of the possibility and for that reason, the recruiting efforts are being amped up.

“The possibility of reclassing came up, and that they would be very interested in that possibility,” Ghioto told The Clemson Insider. “They don’t usually recruit that far out, so they are treating me as a ’27 as of now, just because of the possibility that I could reclass up. And they are very heavily pursuing that opportunity, for sure.”

Ghioto, a former teammate of incoming freshman wideout Naeemm Burroughs, is now locked in to attend the Elite Retreat on March 7, an event generally reserved for rising high school seniors.

The 6-foot-5, 240-pound high school All-American has visited Clemson in the past, and on multiple occasions, but this upcoming visit will be different. Ghioto will spend most of the weekend on campus, and he’ll get a much deeper look at the program.

“This will finally be a good opportunity for me to get to know the program as it is,” he said. “I feel like at the moment, I have only gotten a suppressed version of it, because I am so far out in my recruitment process, and them being a school that doesn’t really recruit guys this early on, which I totally respect.

“They’ve always told me that is just about integrity. If they don’t have integrity about recruiting me, they won’t have integrity when I get there. And I totally understand where they are coming from. That is why Clemson is so high on my list. I respect the morals and everything they have to offer. They stay true to what they’ve always stayed true to, and they don’t bend for anybody, and I think that is a great look for them.”

Ghioto already has more than 50 offers. He ranks No. 12 overall in the 247 Compsite Rankings, No. 2 among all defensive linemen in his class and No. 5 in the talent-rich state of Florida.

If he does eventually decide to reclass, that makes this next visit to Clemson even more important, seeing as his recruitment will basically be sped up by a year.

“Right now, it’s more so, if it’s right, it’s right,” Ghioto said. “If everything is aligned, then that is exactly what it will be. I feel like there would be no reason to stay back. I feel like that would be a wasted year in a way, and going up would be a great opportunity for me to get with a team early and develop. Wherever that leads, I feel like I could go in early on and make an impact. As of now, we are definitely exploring that.”

“It also comes down to all the credits and stuff, too. It’s not really heard of… reclassing at Bolles, being such a prestigious school. It will definitely also come down to that for sure.”

Photo by Bart Boatwright