Clemson football picking up major commitments. Which 2024 recruit could be next?

After a slow start, Clemson football recruiting is back on track thanks to a run of blue-chip commitments for the Class of 2024. Five-star linebacker Sammy Brown (No. 14 recruit nationally), four-star receiver Bryant Wesco (No. 37) and four-star receiver TJ Moore (No. 157) committed to the Tigers in rapid succession last week on the heels of Clemson’s blowout official visit weekend. Those splashy acquisitions elevated the Tigers back to the top tier of 247Sports’ Composite recruiting rankings, a position they’ve long occupied under coach Dabo Swinney. Clemson was No. 21 nationally in that ranking ahead of its June official weekend extravaganza — which was also a big hit last cycle, spurring 14 commitments across June and July 2022 — and jumped up 13 spots after adding Brown, Wesco and Moore to its class. Clemson is now No. 8 nationally in the 247Sports rankings for 2024, with 11 commitments and an average player grade of 91.60 out of 100. That’s tops in the ACC, one spot ahead of No. 9 Florida State, and ahead six spots ahead of rival South Carolina, which sits at No. 14. And the Tigers, clearly, aren’t done. Swinney’s program generally has the majority of its recruiting class in place by the season and is actively pursuing a number of intriguing national and regional targets. Here are five uncommitted recruits to keep an eye on for Clemson. MIKE MATTHEWS 5-star WR; 6-foot-1, 180 pounds; Parkview (Ga.) High School Clemson’s taken a clear step back from the “Wide Receiver U” reputation it earned earlier in Swinney’s tenure. That group was among the Tigers’ weakest each of the past two seasons and will face similar questions entering 2023 under position coach Tyler Grisham. Landing Matthews, and pairing him with Wesco and Moore could be a major step in changing that. According to Matthews — the country’s No. 3 wide receiver and No. 9 overall recruit — it was also the Tigers’ pitch to him during their June 2-4 official visit weekend. “It’s probably just the opportunity to make Clemson what it was before,” Matthews told Rivals.com. “They’re comparing me, TJ and Bryant to Sammy Watkins, Martavis Bryant and DeAndre Hopkins. So they’re trying to get the offense back right.” Thank you Clemson Football for a memorable OV! I look back and I just appreciate the opportunity and your hospitality! @ClemsonFB @Coach_Grisham #gotigers pic.twitter.com/BoF8IieItA — mike matthews (@mike1matthews) June 10, 2023 Clemson was Matthews’ opening visit. He’ll also visit Georgia, Tennessee and Southern Cal later this month and hasn’t yet established a formal timeframe for his commitment. Matthews also plays safety at Parkview and is open to playing defense in college, but Clemson’s recruiting him exclusively as a wide receiver, he told Rivals. He was all-region, all-county and all-state in 2022 with 48 catches for 1,031 and nine touchdowns in 12 games. EDDRICK HOUSTON 5-star DL; 6-3, 255 pounds; Buford (Ga.) High School The Tigers hold 2024 defensive line commitments from four-star Hevin Brown-Shuler and four-star Champ Thompson. They also signed a decorated group of six defensive tackles and edge rushers in the Class of 2023, led by five-star Peter Woods. So they might as well shoot high for further additions. At the top of that list is Houston, who ranks as the No. 4 defensive lineman and No. 15 overall recruit in the country. Houston was one of the top-ranked prospects in attendance for Clemson’s June visit weekend and, according to 247Sports, will soon release a list of finalists featuring the five schools he’s visited or will visit: Southern Cal, Clemson Georgia, Ohio State and Alabama (in that order). From there, Houston will announce his commitment on August 22, his 18th birthday. Ohio State is the current favorite, as the Buckeyes hold Houston’s sole 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction and a 74.6% chance to land his commitment in On3 Sports’ Recruiting Prediction Machine. After a great visit and Conversation with Coach Swinney I am beyond BLESSED To Receive an Offer from CLEMSON UNIVERSITY @CUCoachReed @TheCoachPaul7 @Coach_Muhammed @LancasterFBwebo @coachqwalker pic.twitter.com/tkRPImf2li — Corian “C8” Gipson (@CorianGipson) March 27, 2023 CORIAN GIPSON 4-star CB; 6-0, 175 pounds; Lancaster (Tex.) High School Gipson, in an interview with On3 Sports, described Clemson as “my dream school when I was younger.” Once he became a top 100 recruit — currently No. 8 among cornerbacks and No. 61 nationally — the Tigers did enough to make his top five schools list in April. Alabama, Ohio State, TCU and Texas are also battling to land Gipson, who’s an accomplished high school sprinter and can play the safety position. He told On3 he’ll “definitely” commit before his senior season starts in August, if not earlier in the summer. Gipson’s recruitment follows a trend: Despite its sizable distance from the state, Clemson’s made significant inroads in Texas in recent cycles. They’ve signed a player from the Lone Star State in five straight recruiting classes – that includes starting quarterback Cade Klubnik in 2022 and a program-record three players in 2023 – and already have one for 2024 in Wesco. CASEY POE 4-star IOL; 6-5, 280 pounds; Lindale (Tex.) High School On-site visits have turned Clemson into an increasingly compelling option for Poe, who ranks as the No. 8 interior offensive lineman (center or guard) and No. 142 recruit nationally. Poe is a newer target — Clemson only offered him three months ago — but told SportsTalkSC after his official visit weekend that the Tigers “did a really good job of moving that needle and pushing it up. … They’re sitting very high right now. We’ll just see where it goes from there.” Position coach Thomas Austin landed two offensive linemen from football-rich Texas last cycle (four-stars Harris Sewell and Ian Reed) and is now trying to do it again with Poe. Per On3 Sports, a decision could come “as early as July” after Poe completes an official visit circuit of Clemson, Texas Tech, Auburn, Alabama and Oklahoma. WR ALEX TAYLOR 4-star WR; 6-2, 175 pounds; Grimsley (N.C) High School Clemson and Taylor (No. 308 nationally) might have to balance some competing interests leading into his commitment date, which is scheduled for July 29. The commitments of Wesco and Moore have already prompted one regional wide receiver — four-star recruit Braylon Staley of Aiken — to drop the Tigers from consideration since they’re only planning to take two receivers, he told SportsTalkSC. There’s certainly some flexibility there, with Taylor as an option to take a potential third receiver spot in the class. But as the Tigers also actively recruit top 100 receivers Matthews and Cam Coleman, Taylor will also visit Virginia Tech, NC State, UNC and Penn State this summer.