CLEMSON — So far, Clemson has offered just two running backs in the 2027 recruiting class.
However, there are some other options should the Tigers decide to expand the board at some point in the future.
One running back C.J. Spiller has been keeping an eye on is three-star Tai Phillips. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound back just transferred to Irmo from Cape Fear in Fayetteville, N.C.
Spiller stopped in to visit with Phillips in January, just before he made the move to the Midlands. It was a meeting that lasted more than 90 minutes.
“Coach Spiller came to my old school, Cape Fear, and we talked and had a good conversation,” Phillips told The Clemson Insider. “That is really where the relationship started. I definitely got a good first impression of him. We didn’t talk just about football. We talked about life, principles and all that. You can tell he is a really down-to-earth coach. Some coaches I talk to, it’s just football, football, football. But he really sat down and had a conversation with me.”
Phillips is now scheduled to visit Clemson on March 2 to take in a spring practice. It is one of several stops he will make in the spring. South Carolina (March 4), NC State (March 10), Virginia (March 20), Virginia Tech (March 21), Duke (March 26) and North Carolina (March 28). Of those schools, only the Tigers, Gamecocks and Tar Heels have yet to offer.
While Phillips says he is still pretty neutral, Virginia Tech and Clemson are two of the schools that have started separating themselves from the rest of the pack. NC State and USF were both also mentioned. Missouri and Maryland both just pulled the triggers on offers.
However, Phillips still needs an offer before Clemson can become a legitimate contender.
“I really want to see how serious they are taking me, how much of a priority I am,” Phillips said. “It is getting closer to the end of my recruitment a little bit. And I just want to find a place I can call home and let’s see if that may be Clemson.”
Phillips rushed for just under 1,000 yards in seven games as a junior. He averaged 7.9 yards per carry and totaled 12 rushing touchdowns.
Knowing how selective Clemson is when it comes to handing out offers, Phillips would be humbled by an opportunity to suit up and play for the Tigers.
“It would mean a lot since they don’t really offer that many people,” Phillips said. “It would definitely let me know that I am a high priority for them, and that would reflect on the feelings I have for them.”