Peyton Miller is gearing up for his next visit to Clemson.
The four-star offensive lineman, out of Anna High School in Texas, worked out at Dabo Swinney’s high school camp last summer, where he earned one of the Tigers’ opening offers, before returning in September for the Syracuse game.
Miller’s next visit will be for the Elite Retreat on March 7, where he is part of a star-studded list of visitors, and the blue-chip talent is anxiously awaiting the opportunity to get a more in-depth look at the Clemson program.
“I am just looking forward to learning more about the program,” Miller told The Clemson Insider. “Just seeing how the team is reacting to the season they had, compared to the seasons they have had before. Based on what I have heard, I think they are going to bring it up pretty good. I think it will be a great visit. My family will be up there and just getting to learn more and more about Clemson.”
Miller hears from members of the Clemson coaching staff frequently. Offensive line coach Matt Luke recently did an in-home visit with the 6-foot-5, 300-pound lineman, and he is expecting Luke and head coach Dabo Swinney to make a stop at his school sometime this week.
He is also starting to hear from Chad Morris on a regular basis, even though the new offensive coordinator is not going out on the road recruiting. When Swinney tabbed Morris as the replacement for the ousted Garrett Riley, Miller couldn’t help but get excited.
Morris also hails from the Lone Star State, and Miller resides about 20 minutes from Allen High School. That is where Morris originally made a name for himself as an offensive guru, and the relationship between the two has started to blossom fairly quickly.
“I was excited as a Texas guy,” Miller said. “When I heard Chad Morris, I knew exactly who it was. He is from Texas. He coached here for many, many years. He is from here, so I know we can relate from that level. When I got on the phone with him, he was a really great guy. We relate on a lot of things. I just think he is a personable guy. When Dabo hired him, I knew he was the right fit for the program. I think he is a good fit and will do great things for them.”
Miller has also had conversations with wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham, who assured him the Tigers’ offense will be more run-oriented than it has been the last few years. That was music to Miller’s ears.
“He told me we can’t complain anymore because Morris is back and we are going to run the ball,” Miller said of Grisham. “That is what he is going to do. He said we just need to run the ball. Let the big dogs up front eat, and let the running backs eat. Chew up some yards up front. That is definitely a big deal for me because I love to run block. Nothing makes me more happy than when we can just run the ball all over a team. I put my nose in the dirt, dig kids out, run them over, and make them want to quit football. I want them to not want to play football anymore after they get done with me.”
Miller was named to the 5A All-Texas team for his superb junior campaign, and 247 considers him one of the top interior linemen in the 2027 class.
He already has well over 30 offers and recently released a Top 11 that consisted of Clemson, Florida State, Iowa, Oklahoma, Arizona State, Penn State, SMU, Texas Tech, Wisconsin, Texas and Florida.
While some might think Clemson going 7-6 last season might hinder the Tigers’ chances, Miller insists that is not the case.
In fact, the down season has allowed him to see exactly how much players inside the program care, something he’s witnessed firsthand now on multiple occasions. The first time he saw it was in the locker room following the loss to Syracuse, and just recently Luke has provided him with even more examples of how dedicated the players are to getting things back on track.
That’s part of the reason why Miller still has a strong interest in Clemson and why the Tigers have serious staying power in his recruitment.
“The way Coach Luke talked about how they responded to this season, that just showed me how much they really care about the program,” Miller said. “He sent me videos of their banquet, of the seniors, and they were just bawling their eyes out. It shows how much they care.”
“If you really get in-depth with the program, get inside and see exactly what is going on behind closed doors, you would have more of an appreciation than you would just judging them from an outside point of view. And that is good to see as a recruit. You want to play with guys like that, guys that care. You want them to care as much as you. I have no doubt they will be more successful than they were last year. They can definitely make the playoff.”
Photo courtesy of Peyton Miller on X (formerly known as Twitter)