Move In Day: Clemson football team finally complete

Avieon Terrell is good enough to compete for playing time at corner.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sun Jun 25 07:00:15 GMT-04:00 2023

After today, Clemson’s football team will be complete.

A college football team is always in transition after the end of the regular season, especially in the day of the transfer portal. After the bowl game, if there is a bowl game, the portal is still open but seniors and the juniors who declare early for the NFL Draft also move on.

With so many high school prospects electing to enroll early, the numbers begin to fill in at the start of January, but it isn’t until the remainder of the signing class arrives in June that the numbers are at, or close to, full strength.

That happens today when the final 12 members of Clemson’s talented 2023 signing class move in at Lightsey Bridge.

Those numbers include two running backs in Jarvis Green and Jay Haynes, two tight ends in Olsen Patt Henry and Markus Dixon, three cornerbacks in Branden Strozier, Misun Kelley, and Avieon Terrell, defensive ends David Ojiegbe and AJ Hoffler, wide receivers Ronan Hanafin and Tyler Brown, and safety Rob Billings.

Let’s take a closer look, a refresher, at the players arriving on campus via their official Clemson bios:

AJ Hoffler

Before Clemson: Florida native who moved to Georgia at a young age and helped Atlanta’s Woodward Academy finish 2022 with 11-2 record and a 7-0 conference mark … finished career with 90 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 15 sacks … had one interception, one fumble recovery and six forced fumbles … notched 21 tackles in seven games as a senior … posted 47 tackles, including nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss, in 11 games as a junior … had 22 tackles, including four sacks and seven tackles for loss as a sophomore … had three sacks in a pair of games in 2021 … played for coach John Hunt at Woodward Academy … ranked as the No. 214 overall player in the nation by 247Sports … ranked as the 26th-best player in Georgia by ESPN.com … ranked by Rivals as the 33rd-best player in Georgia and the nation’s 35th-best defensive end … PrepStar ranked him as a four-star prospect and as the nation’s No. 282 overall player.

Personal: Committed to Clemson on June 21, 2022 … born Aug. 9, 2004 … product of Woodward Academy, an athletic department that has placed recent alums in the NFL, MLB and NBA … his brother, Ozzie, is a defensive end at Kansas State … enrolling at Clemson in summer 2023 … pre-business major … last name pronounced “HOFF-lerr.”

Ronan Hanafin

Before Clemson: Versatile athlete who contributed in myriad ways at Massachusetts’ Buckingham Browne & Nichols School … started prep career at cornerback as a freshman but played receiver and linebacker/safety most of his career … also returned punts … limited by injury to only three games (and just one full game) as a senior … posted 64 tackles, five pass breakups, two interceptions and a sack as a junior in 2021 … contributed 30 receptions for 369 yards and four scores … played football and lacrosse … played for Mike Willey … ranked 81st in Sports Illustrated’s SI99 for 2023 … listed as the No. 195 overall player in the nation by 247Sports, which also listed him as the No. 4 player in Massachusetts and the nation’s No. 13 athlete … Rivals ranked Hanafin as the No. 5 player in Massachusetts and 10th-best athlete in the class … ESPN.com ranked Hanafin as the No. 6 player in Massachusetts … PrepStar three-star recruit who ranked as the service’s sixth-best player in Massachusetts.

Personal: Brother of Shane Hanafin, who will be a redshirt freshman quarterback at Boston College in 2023 … his father, Dan, was Boston University’s starting quarterback in 1997, the last year the school played football … Dan led Boston University to victory over UMass in 1997, the last victory in BU football history … became Clemson’s first signee from Massachusetts since eventual unanimous All-American Christian Wilkins in 2015 … born Feb. 4, 2004 … committed to Clemson on August 14, 2022 … chose Clemson over Notre Dame, for whom he was recruited by former Clemson receiver Chansi Stuckey … enrolling at Clemson in summer 2023 … pre-business major … name pronounced “ROE-ninn HANN-uh-finn.”

Misun Kelley

Before Clemson: Helped Daniel to a 12-1 record in 2022 and a berth in the state semifinals … part of a 36-game winning streak for Daniel across the 2020-22 seasons … helped Daniel to 3A state titles in 2020 and 2021 … played multiple positions and scored touchdowns five different ways as a senior … scored touchdowns via reception (six), rush (three), fumble return (one), interception return (one) and kickoff return (one) among his 12 total touchdowns in 2022 … finished career with 91 receptions for 1,332 yards and 16 touchdown catches … added 15 career rushing attempts for 250 yards and five touchdowns … averaged 26.0 yards on kickoff returns and 14.3 yards on punt returns for his career … recorded 2,266 career all-purpose yards … recorded 86 tackles with eight interceptions and four pass breakups in 42 games defensively … recorded 37 catches for 606 yards (14.6 avg.) and six scores in 2022 … had 10 carries for 137 rushing yards with three touchdowns …added 21 tackles, two interceptions and four pass breakups defensively … as a junior in 2021, registered 54 catches for 726 yards and 10 touchdowns as well as 113 rushing yards and two touchdowns on five carries in 14 games … contributed 24 tackles, three tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery defensively that year … added 272 yards in kickoff returns in 2021 … scored 12 touchdowns as a junior, 10 on receptions and two on rushing attempts … recorded 27 tackles and six interceptions in 2020 … had 14 tackles as a freshman … played for coach Jeff Fruster at Daniel … selected to the South Carolina team in the Shrine Bowl … ranked by Rivals as the fifth-best player in South Carolina … ranked as the state’s 12th-best player by 247Sports and 14th-best by ESPN.com … rated No. 10 in South Carolina by PrepStar.

Personal: Committed to Clemson on Oct. 29, 2022 … originally committed to Virginia Tech … born Feb. 25, 2005 … enrolling at Clemson in summer 2023 … communication major … nicknamed “Tink” … first name pronounced “MY-sun.”

Branden Strozier

Before Clemson: Two-way player at St. Francis High School in 2022 … had 57 career receptions for 1,066 yards and four scores offensively and recorded 95 tackles, nine tackles for loss, six interceptions and 34 passes defensed defensively … played in 14 games as a senior, helping team to a 10-4 record in 2022 … posted 43 receptions for 788 yards (18.3 avg.) and four scores on offense while contributing 41 tackles, three tackles for loss and three interceptions for 98 return yards on defense … had career-high 22 passes defensed in 2022 … caught six passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns against Mount Pisgah Christian … notched six receptions for 116 yards and added two tackles for loss on defense against Bleckley County … had nine tackles vs. Fellowship Christian … broke up four passes vs. Providence Christian Academy … recorded a 93-yard interception return for a score against Oglethorpe County … broke up 10 passes in the first three games of the season alone … posted 191 receiving yards on nine catches and made 12 tackles in five games in 2021 … recorded four receptions, 58 receiving yards and five tackles in two games during the COVID-19-impacted season in 2020 … played 12 games as a freshman in 2019 and had 37 tackles and three interceptions for 68 return yards … played for coach Frank Barden … ranked as No. 213 overall player in the nation by Rivals, which also listed him as the 17th-best player in Georgia and 28th-best cornerback … ranked as 30th-best player in Georgia by 247Sports … ranked No. 365 overall nationally by PrepStar.

Personal: Committed to Clemson on May 20, 2022 … born Sept. 9, 2004 … enrolling at Clemson in summer 2023 … wildlife and fisheries biology major … name pronounced “STRO-zhurr.”

Tyler Brown

Before Clemson: Played for Greg Porter at Greenville Senior High School … helped the Red Raiders to a 10-4 record and state semifinal berth in 2022 … finished his prep career with 148 receptions for 2,501 yards and 32 receiving touchdowns … averaged nearly 17 yards per catch for his career … also added 29 rushes for 163 yards and a touchdown … scored 34 career touchdowns, 32 on receptions … also returned kicks over his career and finished with 3,077 career all-purpose yards … also played some quarterback, completing 12-of-18 passes for 217 yards and three scores over his career … recorded 59 catches for 937 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior … posted six catches for 144 yards against T.L. Hanna … had three touchdown catches vs. Westside … had six catches for 111 yards against South Pointe in the state playoffs, helping Greenville to its first win over South Pointe … posted eight catches for 102 yards in Upper State Playoff championship vs. Northwestern … had career-high 71 catches, 1,034 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior in 2021 … had three touchdowns among his four catches against Wade Hampton that year … recorded 18 catches for 530 yards as a sophomore in 2020 when he played just six games in the COVID-19-impacted season … averaged 29.4 yards per catch that year … averaged 25.5 yards per return on 12 returns as the team’s primary kickoff returner that season … posted 313 all-purpose yards against Riverside in 2020 … had five receptions for a career-high 172 yards and three scores vs. Blue Ridge in 2020 … had at least 140 receiving yards in three of his six games in 2020 and finished with 1,008 all-purpose yards in just six games … played for the South Carolina team in the Shrine Bowl, scoring a 55-yard touchdown in the contest … ranked in the On3 Top 300 nationally, as the service ranked him as the nation’s No. 294 overall player and the fifth-best in South Carolina … ranked as the No. 16 player in South Carolina by 247Sports … ranked as the No. 19 player in South Carolina by ESPN.com.

Personal: Committed to Clemson on Nov. 24, 2022 … born June 14, 2005 … became Clemson’s third Greenville Senior High signee in two years, joining 2022 signees Collin Sadler and Josh Sapp … enrolling at Clemson in summer 2023 … pre-business major.

Rob Billings

Before Clemson: Two-year starter at Milton High outside Atlanta where he played for Ben Reaves … finished high school career with 170 tackles and nine interceptions in 38 games … also recorded 29 passes defensed and three fumble recoveries … recorded 98 tackles from his safety position as a senior in 2022 when he helped Milton to 10-4 record and a No. 15 final ranking in the state of Georgia according to MaxPreps … played all 14 games and produced 13 passes defensed, five tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and two blocked kicks … 74 of his 98 tackles were first hits … also recorded four interceptions he returned 47 yards … had three double-figure tackle games as a senior, 12 vs. Christian Brothers (Mo.), 11 vs. Alpharetta and 11 vs. West Forsyth … had nine first hits and a 22-yard interception return against West Forsyth while also contributing 13 carries for 73 rushing yards and a touchdown and three catches for 38 yards … also completed a pass for 15 yards in that contest … helped Milton to a 12-1 record as a junior in 2021 when he had 66 tackles and five interceptions and a fumble recovery … had a 53-yard pick-six vs. Walton in state playoffs and 55-yard fumble return for a score in state playoffs vs. Mill Creek … both of his touchdowns that season came in the state playoffs … had a career-high 13 tackles vs. Alpharetta in 2021 … ranked as 29th-best overall player in Georgia by Rivals … listed by Rivals as No. 27 safety in the country.

Personal: Committed to Clemson on July 31, 2022 … born Jan. 20, 2005 … enrolling at Clemson in summer 2023.

Markus Dixon

Before Clemson: First-team All-Catholic League selection in Philadelphia in 2022 … three-year varsity starter who played tight end, wide receiver, defensive end and safety in addition to returning kicks … played one game at quarterback … caught 14 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns in eight games in 2022 … contributed as a blocker in a run-heavy offense … recorded 16 tackles and an interception defensively … four-year letterman in football and basketball at Archbishop Wood High School … team co-captain … played for Dave Armstrong … ranked as the No. 12 overall player in Pennsylvania by ESPN.com, Rivals and 247Sports … ranked as the 16th-best TE/H-Back in the nation by ESPN.com … ranked as the 30th-best TE/H-Back by Rivals and 33rd by 247Sports … ranked as the 15th-best player in Pennsylvania by Prepstar.

Personal: Committed to Clemson on June 14, 2022 … from the same high school as current Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts … born Sept. 17, 2004 … enrolling at Clemson in summer 2023 … communication major.

Olsen Patt Henry

Before Clemson: Posted exactly 61 receptions for more than 1,000 yards in each of his last two years … caught 61 passes for 1,159 yards as a senior and 61 passes for 1,053 yards as a junior … scored 13 touchdowns as a senior and 17 as a junior … in four years on the varsity squad, totaled 160 career receptions for 3,068 yards with 40 touchdowns … averaged 19.2 yards per catch for his 38-game career … helped team to 10-2 record as a senior … recorded five 100-yard games in each of his last two years … had seven catches for 196 yards and three touchdowns against Frostproof … notched 155 yards and a touchdown among his eight receptions vs. Cardinal Mooney … helped First Baptist to the FHSAA 1A state title … recorded career-high 209 yards and four touchdowns against Community School of Naples in 2021 … posted nine catches for 172 yards against American Collegiate Academy as a junior … wore No. 11 at First Baptist Academy where he played for Billy Sparacio… invited to All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas … ranked by ESPN.com as the 11th-best TE/H-Back in the nation … ranked by 247Sports as the No. 14 TE/H-Back in the nation … ranked by PrepStar as the nation’s 20th-best tight end.

Personal: Committed to Clemson on June 7, 2022 … born May 24, 2005 … enrolling at Clemson in summer 2023 … communication major.

Jarvis Green

Before Clemson: Led Dutch Fork to its sixth state title in seven years in 2022 … recorded 525 rushes for 4,608 yards (8.8 avg.) and 78 rushing touchdowns in 40 career games … also posted 89 receptions for 1,202 yards and 11 touchdowns … added two return touchdowns to finish with his career with 91 total touchdowns … recorded 462 yards on 18 kickoff returns (25.7 avg.) … finished with 6,272 career all-purpose yards … 2022 South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year … second-team MaxPreps All-American … rushed 232 times for 2,272 yards (9.8 avg.) in 2022, finishing fourth in the state of South Carolina in rushing yardage … added 36 receptions for 527 yards and recorded 41 total touchdowns as a senior, including 33 rushing, six receiving and two on returns … recorded 100-yard rushing games in 11 of the 13 contests he played in 2022, including three games of at least 200 yards and a 306-yard rushing performance on 23 attempts against Spartanburg … rushed 25 times for 246 yards vs. Dorman with three touchdowns … capped career with 23 carries for 241 yards and three scores in the state championship … also had a pair of 100-yard receiving games in 2022 … scored seven touchdowns against River Bluff as a senior and added six against Lexington … helped Dutch Fork be named the top high school team in South Carolina by MaxPreps in 2022 … had six 100-yard games while contributing to a 12-1 season in 2021 … had season-high 14 carries for 188 yards in season opener against Wren and had five rushing touchdowns and 149 yards against Chapin later that year … had a pair of 100-yard rushing games as sophomore in 2020, including a 127-yard game against Chapin and and a 137-yard effort against T.L. Hanna … played for Tom Knotts … selected to the Shrine Bowl, scoring the game-winning touchdown among his 15 carries for 58 yards for the South Carolina squad … ranked as the top player in South Carolina by MaxPreps … named first-team all-state by The State.

Personal: Committed to Clemson on Dec. 13, 2022 … born Sept. 24, 2005 … high school teammate of Clemson receivers Will Taylor and Antonio Williams … enrolling at Clemson in summer 2023 … food science and human nutrition major.

Avieon Terrell

Before Clemson: Four-year contributor at Westlake who helped his team to a 9-4 record in 2022 … collected 86 career tackles and six interceptions … excellent all-around player who also was outstanding in the return game in 2022, posting nine kickoff returns for 289 yards, including a 73-yarder, and 12 punt returns for 189 yards, including a 65-yarder … averaged 32.1 yards on kickoff returns and 15.8 yards on punt returns … had five career receiving touchdowns, a punt return touchdown, a kickoff return touchdown, a fumble return touchdown and an interception return touchdown … had a 146-yard punt return game, a 112-yard kickoff return game and a 148-yard reception yardage game over the course of his career … posted 33 tackles on defense in 2022 with four interceptions for 59 return yards … also had 20 catches for 427 yards as an end, he had five scores … collected all four interceptions over final six games of the 2022 season … posted seven catches for 148 yards and two scores vs. Parkview in the penultimate game of his prep career … had 44 tackles with two interceptions as a junior in 2021 … added two catches for 59 yards in limited offensive duty … recorded a 70-yard fumble return for a score in 2020 … wore No. 8 for coach Rico Zackery in high school, same number his brother wore at Clemson as a cornerback from 2017-19 … ranked as the 99th-best player in the nation according to Rivals, which also listed him as the fifth-best player in Georgia and 13th-best cornerback in the nation … ranked No. 178 overall in the nation by PrepStar as a four-star prospect.

Personal: Committed to Clemson on June 6, 2022 … brother of former Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell, an All-Pro cornerback who was a first-round draft choice of the Atlanta Falcons in 2020 … born Jan. 11, 2005 … enrolling at Clemson in summer 2023 … sociology major … name pronounced “AY-vee-on turr-ELL.”

Jay Haynes

In High School: Recorded 251 carries for 2,669 yards and 37 touchdowns in 24 games from 2021-22, averaging an incredible 10.6 yards per carry across those two seasons … also added 19 catches for 268 yards in that span … posted 1,888 yards on just 177 carries (10.7 avg.) and scored 27 touchdowns as a senior in 2022… had at least 100 yards in each of first five games and at least 100 in four of his last five … rushed for 476 yards, the second-most in a game in Alabama high school history, on 30 carries against Jacksonville in a matchup of two of Class 4A’s top five teams … scored five touchdowns in that game, all covering at least 52 yards (96, 58, 52, 72, 54) … that performance trailed only Tony Dixon’s 531-yard game in 2003 in state annals … in the state playoffs, rushed 25 times for 231 yards and four touchdowns against T.R. Miller and then had 217 yards and two scores on 30 carries (including a 96-yard touchdown run) against Montgomery Catholic … also had 167 yards in his first playoff game that year, giving him 67 carries for 615 yards and 10 touchdowns, an average of 205 yards and three touchdowns, across three playoff games … averaged 9.2 yards a rush in those three games … helped Handley High to an 11-2 record and the third round of the playoffs … as a junior, rushed 74 times for 781 yards (10.6 avg.) and 10 scores … totaled 15 carries for 237 yards and three scores vs. Munford … rushed 10 times for 185 yards and two scores vs. Cherokee County … played for Larry Strain at Handley High … wore No. 4.

Personal: Born Jan. 21, 2005 … signed with the Clemson program on Dec. 21, 2022 … enrolling at Clemson in summer 2023 … engineering major.

David Ojiegbe

Before Clemson: Helped St. John’s College High to the WCAC title in each of his final two seasons, including an 11-0 season in 2021 and 8-4 year in 2022 … posted 30 tackles for loss with 16 sacks to earn second-team MaxPreps All-America honors during his senior campaign … added 53 total tackles and two fumble recoveries … involved in four sacks in 7-3 WCAC championship victory over DeMatha in the final game of his prep career … two-time Washington Post All-Metro selection … all-conference honoree … named MaxPreps Defensive Player of the Year for the District of Columbia … played for Pat Ward at St. John’s … invited to All-America Classic in Orlando … was a national top-300 player by several major recruiting services … ranked No. 183 overall by 247Sports, which listed him as the second-best player in Washington, D.C. … ranked No. 227 and as a four-star player by PrepStar … rated No. 242 overall and as the third-best player in Washington, D.C. by On3 … ranked No. 245 overall by ESPN.com, which rated him as the second-best player in the D.C./Maryland area … ranked by Rivals as the second-best player in Washington, D.C.

Personal: Committed to Clemson on April 27, 2022 … became Clemson’s second signee from St. John’s College High School since 2020, joining 2020 signee Tré Williams … played in the same conference as 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams … born Oct. 31, 2003 … enrolling at Clemson in summer 2023 … pre-business major … last name pronounced “oh-JEB-way.”