Top GA lineman continues to grow relationship with Clemson after Matt Luke's home visit

Bear McWhorter will likely announce his commitment in July, with Clemson still in the mix

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Friday, January 17 2025

Matt Luke’s recruiting efforts continue to pay off.

Luke has been on the road, making the most of the contact period to visit some of Clemson’s top 2026 class targets.

One of those stops included a home visit of Bear McWhorter of White (GA) Cass High School.

The Georgia guard announced his top nine during the football season, with Clemson making the cut among other top schools. Those include South Carolina, Alabama, Michigan, and several more who made the cut for McWhorter’s services.

Luke, however, has wasted no time in trying to be one step ahead. He visited McWhorter’s home, continuing to grow what has already been reported as a strong relationship between the young lineman and Luke.

For him, seeing Luke make the trek and visit his family impacted a bond full of consistent communication.

“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.”

McWhorter also told TigerNet that the Tigers have continued to stay within the mix because of different members of the program continue to show interest in his services, teaching him more of what Clemson is all about.

The Tigers aren’t the only schools in the mix for one of the top linemen in Georgia. The Cass product also has visits scheduled with Michigan, Florida State, Florida, and Alabama to round out the month of January.

He plans to return to Clemson soon after a busy winter, confirming he will attend Junior Day in early March.

There are also no changes to his timeline for a commitment, hoping that a final decision will be made by July, trimming a list of nine into one team left standing.

For the Tigers, communication has been their best asset, and Luke has been that spokesman from the trenches.

As the 2026 class begins to take on more members, Clemson hopes McWhorter will be a part of that group in due time.

great visit with @CoachMattLuke tonight !! appreciate you stopping by! #Clemson @ClemsonFB pic.twitter.com/0hgR0nYmIM
— ʙᴇᴀʀ ᴍᴄᴡʜᴏʀᴛᴇʀ (@BearMcWhorter) January 8, 2025