In-state wide receiver Braylon Staley now lists Clemson as his leader

Staley has fun with wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Tue Jan 31 12:56:02 GMT-04:00 2023

One of the state’s top prospects for the 2024 recruiting cycle now lists Clemson as his leader.

Aiken wide receiver Braylon Staley (6-0 175) is one of the top athletes in the state of South Carolina. Last spring, he won the 4A triple-jump championship. Saturday, he was at the Clemson Elite Junior Day where head coach Dabo Swinney and receivers coach Tyler Grisham jumped on him trying to secure that athleticism for their receiving corps.

“It was great. I took a lot from it,” Staley said of the visit. “I thought I knew a lot about Clemson, but when Coach Swinney talked to us, gave us a speech, I actually learned a lot just about the program. Clemson is just not about football. That really stood out to me. It’s not just about football, but it’s about life after football. He said the NFL stands for 'Not For Long.' He was telling us they were getting us prepared to be a man in life and be a great father and a great husband.”

Auburn just offered Staley on Sunday. He’s also landed offers from Alabama, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, NC State, Virginia Tech, Miami and West Virginia among others. The Clemson coaches made it clear to Staley there’s a spot for him in their offense.

“Coach Swinney told me they want me bad,” Staley said. “He asked me, what’s taking too long? He was like, is there anything you’re waiting on? And I just told him, no sir. And Coach Grisham was telling me and another recruit that they love our film, love what we did, and they are just waiting on us to commit. They like me as both slot and outside.”

In January, Staley has also taken visits to Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and North Carolina. Those were all good visits, but the day at Clemson Saturday got his attention.

“They stand high, they jumped up,” Staley said. “They are definitely one to watch out for. I’ve got a couple, but as of right now they are my favorite so far from this visit. I plan on taking some visits during the spring and I’ll probably be set to commit after my official visits.”

LStaley ha 930 receiving yards with nine touchdowns last season. His father, Brian Staley, was a major prospect out of Aiken in the early 2000s. He had 26 career interceptions in high school. He signed with Clemson but first attended Georgia Military JC and earned junior college All-America honors. He later signed with Mississippi State.