Top NC athlete has strong connection with Grisham, interested in new-look offense

Jonathan Paylor competed at Dabo Swinney camp last summer.

by Jake Pierce - Recruiting Reporter - Mon Jan 16 14:12:03 GMT-04:00 2023

With much of the attention of the college football recruiting world shifting to the 2024 recruiting class, many of the top prospects have started the process of focusing in on their major contenders. Burlington (NC) athlete Jonathan Paylor named his top-10 in November, and Clemson remains in the hunt for the priority target on offense.

Paylor, currently rated as a 4-star and the No. 96 player overall and the No. 2 prospect in NC by 247Sports Composite rankings, included Clemson in a group with NC State, North Carolina, Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU, South Carolina, and Maryland.

At 5-9, 170-pounds, Paylor is regarded as one of the most explosive players in the ’24 class because of his ability to impact the game at running back and wide receiver. Paylor has remained in consistent contact with Clemson wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham after picking up a Clemson offer in June and visited campus twice during the season. Paylor could potentially visit Clemson again on January 28th for Elite Junior Day, and so far the Tigers have impressed in multiple areas.

“The campus is crazy, of course, but just the vibe I get from the coaches is good,” Paylor told TigerNet. “And the winning tradition they have built over time. Clemson’s message to me has been they would use me in the slot and running back and that I would be a perfect fit in their offense.”

Paylor’s relationship with Grisham has been a major part of his Clemson recruitment, with Paylor having the chance to run through drills with Grisham at the Dabo Swinney Football Camp last summer.

“He’s the coach you would want to be coached by,” Paylor said of Grisham. “The relationship with Clemson has gotten stronger definitely with them offering (Greensboro's) Alex Taylor. Everything really stood out with how the coaches came to talk to me and teach me drills I never did.”

Paylor released his top-10 schools in November, and now the focus has shifted to finding the best fit. With prospects gearing up for upcoming visits, Paylor is deciding what his next move will be.

“What made me drop the top-10 was how much attention and love I was getting from the fans and coaches,” Paylor said. “I’m really looking at the academic part and how they would help me through college, the coaches energy, and an offense that fits my play style and skill set that will help me get to the next level. Right now, I’m about to look into seeing which school I’ll be joining for Junior Day.”

At the time of this interview, Paylor had not spoken with new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, but was interested to learn what Riley is bringing to Clemson.

“I was looking at that. I’m going to see what he’s about and what kind of changes they’re going to make in the offense,” he said.

Paylor is a multi-sport athlete, also playing baseball and running track. Paylor’s speed is what immediately stands out on film, and his track times verify those highlight runs. Paylor won the NC 2A state title in the 100, 200, and 400 meters, running a 10.7 in the 100. During his high school football career, Paylor has rushed for 1,746 yards with 19 touchdowns, while also accounting for 2,496 yards receiving with 24 touchdowns. Paylor was named to the All-State Team as a freshman and sophomore in North Carolina Class 2A.