CLEMSON RECRUITING

Staff promotions, home visits define busy recruiting week for Clemson
Bryce Perry-Wright was one of the first stops for Ben Boulware in his new role on the road recruiting.

Staff promotions, home visits define busy recruiting week for Clemson


by Grayson Mann Grayson Mann - Staff Writer -

“Slow news day?” said Dabo Swinney in jest Wednesday as he walked in with new defensive coordinator Tom Allen.

Quite the opposite.

It has been the Wild West for Clemson, hiring a new coordinator to run the show on defense, as well as taking to the road for visits to see the top prospects of the 2026 class.

There have been some shifts to who is hitting the road alongside Swinney and other staff members.

Of those notable changes, there will be new faces on the trail, with Tajh Boyd and Ben Boulware joining the sales team to pitch Clemson’s program to the top players in the country.

With the addition of Allen to the staff, the role will step back as the overseer to Clemson’s defense, not taking the road for these visits, leaving Boulware on the defensive side to recruit linebackers and pitch the defensive side of the ball.

It would also appear that Allen’s hiring has made waves in the recruitment world, with several prospects telling TigerNet that the move is nothing but positive for the Tiger defense. One recruit even said that Allen can restore the “elite feel” to that side of the ball.

Now that a coordinator has been hired, it is time to rack up the travel miles.

Following a three-day dead period that ended on Wednesday, the staff will travel until February 1st, making the most of their time for the next several weeks.

According to Boulware's social media posts, he, Swinney, and Mickey Conn were seen leaving Clemson on board a private plane.

Those haven’t been the only ones busy on the trail, as Matt Luke has wasted zero time getting things rolling on his end.

Luke has visited some of the top targets within the trenches, making stops with Bear McWhorter (Cass), Chancellor Barclay (First Academy), Zyon Guiles (Carvers Bay), and Desmond Green (Timberland).

McWhorter recently spoke with TigerNet about Luke’s visit and was blown away by Luke taking the time to see his family on the road.

“That relationship has been amazing,” McWhorter said. “Just Coach Luke constantly contacting me and my family and even coming all the way out to the house just to continue building our relationship says a lot about who he is.”

Luke’s efforts have started to pay off, with Barclay recently announcing that the Tigers have made his top ten.

Alongside top SEC schools like Georgia and Alabama, the Tigers have made a valuable step with a critical prospect.

Moving to the defense side, Swinney and Co. have been busy identifying their targets to fill the 2026 class. Shavar Young is the Tigers’ lone commit on that side, with the rest of the class holding commits on offense.

Recently, Swinney and Chris Rumph have visited Dre Quinn of Greater Atlanta Christian, who will visit Clemson in March for the Elite Junior Retreat.

Quinn visited the Upstate for the Tigers’ matchup with Louisville, where they offered the Georgia defensive end. The young edge rusher doesn’t have a finalized list, but the Tigers have continued to do work on this relationship.

Swinney also took the same to visit Camron Brooks, someone that has been on Clemson’s radar since extending an offer to him in early September. Funny enough, Swinney ran into Kirby Smart on the same day, which provided some laughs on social media.

It also appears that Boulware's first stop on the recruiting trail was a massive one, paying a visit along with Conn, Nick Eason, and Swinney to see Bryce Perry-Wright. The Buford four-star is a massive priority for the Tigers, competing with Georgia for his services.

The Tigers also have extended an offer to Blake Stewart of Atlanta (GA) Woodward Academy, one of the top corners in the class, rated as the No. 90 prospect overall.

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