Asher Ghioto is not only one of the top players in the 2028 recruiting class, but he’s also one of the most intriguing.

What makes him so intriguing is the fact that he’s considering reclassifying to the 2027 class. For that reason, he was invited to the annual Elite Retreat, and it’s not every day that a rising junior gets an invite to that event.

Ghioto attends The Bolles School down in Florida, the same high school that produced current freshman wideout, Naeem Burroughs. While his former teammate had already told him plenty about Clemson, after this latest visit, he feels like an expert in everything Dabo Swinney’s program has to offer.

“Got to talk to Naeem a lot, and see how he was doing, how classes were,” Ghioto told The Clemson Insider. “That gave me some really insightful information. Being able to see into the program through a player’s eyes. Especially a new player and a former teammate I know that is not going to lie to me.”

“Going into this, I knew Clemson was special, because Naeem came back from this visit same time last year and he was like, ‘That is where I am going to be.’ I knew that it was special when he came back last year. But the info that they gave us was so helpful. I don’t think there was a question that was not answered.”

The day began with breakfast at the facility. The group of recruits on hand eventually made their way outside to take in a spring practice, where Ghioto got a better understanding of defensive ends coach Chris Rumph’s coaching style. The blue-chip talent also witnessed something he’s never seen before at a practice anywhere.

“There was a lot of coaching going on,” Ghioto said. “There was never a bad rep. Even the mental reps. I felt like Coach Rumph could see through your mind and be like, “Nah, do it again.’ He is such a wise coach. Another cool thing was that they would stop practice for one-on-ones. In the middle of nowhere. That was super cool. It would be freshman versus senior. Big stage, middle of practice, they are going through team, and they would be like, ‘Nope, stop.’ And it would be the whole d-line versus o-line one-on-ones. Then they would work their way over to receiver and corners. I had never seen that before.”

After the practice, it was time to head in for Swinney’s annual speech. It’s always on the long side, with this year’s going more than three hours.

“We went into that speech around four, and we came out around 7:30,” Ghioto said. “The good thing about that, I think he went over every statistic possible. Every possible question you could have. He went into his philosophy on why he’s doing what he is doing. Why he follows the rules. And it really helps, because you are always wondering why Clemson does it differently. Really seeing into the depth of the program was phenomenal.”

After the speech, there were position meetings, where Ghioto learned he fits a position of need. Not in 2028, but now.

“We went through everything,” Ghioto said. “We charted where I would fit at. Everyone who is leaving next year. If I would be better in 2027 or 2028. All these big things. It was awesome. We did not leave the building until around 11:15. We were the last ones out. We were talking about everything. It was awesome.”

The timetable for making a decision on reclassifying is rapidly approaching. He needs to inform his high school by late May, early June. He is hoping to have it made at some point in May.

He’s also visited Florida this spring and still has stops scheduled with Ohio State, Miami and Georgia. He might also try to get to Alabama and Southern Cal.

One of the biggest things that will factor into the decision is the plan for him in 2027. With Clemson set to lose Will Heldt and Jahiem Lawson following the upcoming season, and only signing two developmental ends in the 2026 class, there is a dire need to restock the cupboard, and Ghioto would certainly fit that bill.

“I don’t think the visit could have gone any better,” Ghioto said. “If you think of a picture-perfect visit in terms of information and how long you are there for and how amazing it was, I feel like that was it. That was the ideal day you are going to go through. It was long, but it was information-packed. That is what you need on these type of visits. Now, I feel like I don’t have to take a bazillion more visits to know if I want to commit there. I don’t feel like I would even need to go back to make a decision.”

Rivals ranks the 6-foot-5, 240-pound end No. 7 overall and No. 2 among all edge rushers in the 2028 class. Over the course of his recruitment, he’s picked up well over 50 offers in total.

However, seeing as the Tigers don’t offer high school sophomores, Ghioto doesn’t officially have one from Clemson. That would change instantly if he ultimately decides to reclass.

If indeed that is the path Ghioto chooses, he says Clemson will definitely get one of his official visits, despite feeling like he already knows enough about the program to make an informed decision.

“I feel like if I am going to go to Clemson, it will be in the ’27 class,” Ghioto said. “That is looking like what the deal will be if I go to Clemson, if that does end up being the final decision. After this, I feel like it would almost be better. I feel like it is more of a need instead of a want. It was like, ‘We need you. We need you in the ’27 class. You are an immediate impact type of guy.’ So, it definitely heated up a lot for me in terms of what I am going to do if I go to Clemson.”

Photo courtesy of Asher Ghioto on X (formerly known as Twitter)