Two Clemson commits are set to face off next week when their high school seasons kick off.
With Calhoun set to host Jefferson next Friday, four-star quarterback commit Trace Hawkins will do battle with three-star linebacker Max Brown. The 4A Calhoun team will be stepping up in competition as Jefferson is a 5A school.
Hawkins became the first commit of the 2028 class late last month, choosing the Tigers over LSU, Duke, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech. The 6-foot-1 signal-caller was one of just two players at the position to pick up an offer from Clemson after working out at Dabo Swinney’s high school camp in early June.
“I see myself fitting pretty good,” Hawkins recently told TCI. “They like to use the quarterback a lot, and they like to throw it, and that is what I like to do, so I can see myself fitting in really well.”
Hawkins first visited last season, then returned twice in the spring before working out at camp.
As a sophomore last season, Hawkins threw for 2,442 yards with 24 touchdowns to just three interceptions. He also had three rushing touchdowns. 247 ranks him as the No. 16 quarterback in the class.
Brown was the first verbal pledge of the 2027 class, going public with a commitment more than a year ago. He is the younger brother of current Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown and was recently named to the Atlanta Touchdown Clemson Preseason All-State team.
Brown was a MaxPreps Preseason All-American heading into his junior campaign, but he suffered a torn MPFL in his knee during the fourth game, which sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
“It was really tough, not being able to do anything, sitting on the sidelines, watching your teammates play,” Brown told TCI earlier this year. “It was a bittersweet feeling seeing them do all of the things they did. Because one part of me is like, ‘Dang, I should be out there.’ But another part is I like seeing my brothers win. I like seeing them have fun while doing it.”
As a sophomore in 2024, he totaled 152 total tackles, averaging more than 10 stops per game. He added 14 tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and three fumble recoveries.
On September 18, Hawkins will have another opportunity to face off against another future teammate when Calhoun hits the road to take on North Oconee, where four-star safety Harrison Luke is about to head into his senior season.
