Top in-state RB Jaylen McGill says Clemson is in the mix but has work to do |
Clemson has work to do with one of the state’s top players for 2026.
Running back Jaylen McGill (5-10 200) is a 4-star prospect out Spartanburg (SC) Mountain View Prep who has been on the recruiting radar for a while. The in-state Gamecocks were his big offer previously, an offer that materialized when McGill was at Broome High School in May of 2023. Since then, his stock has soared and his offer list now includes Clemson, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Auburn, Florida State and Rutgers. He also changed high schools in the offseason and now plays for the fledgling Mountain View Prep program, which has jumped out to a 3-0 start on the season. McGill continued his strong start to the season in last Thursday’s win at Crescent, rushing for 233 yards while averaging 13.7 yards per carry. He also picked up 65 receiving yards and three touchdowns, averaging an impressive 121.5 rushing yards per game. McGill has also taken the time to visit college campuses on Saturdays and has been to a different location each of the first three weeks of this season. First was the Clemson-Georgia game in Atlanta as a guest of the Bulldogs. Next, a visit to Death Valley to watch Clemson blow out Appalachian State. And last Saturday, he took in South Carolina and LSU. McGill said of his visit to Williams-Brice Stadium Saturday, the Gamecocks continued to do what they’ve been doing with him for over a year with head coach Shane Beamer and running backs coach Marquel Blackwell leading the charge. “Of course, they recruit me well. They’ve been recruiting me well since I was a freshman back when coach Montario Hardesty was there,” McGill said. “They recruit me well every time I come. They got me in. I saw the walk. I got to see them play. It was a tragic loss. I got to talk to Coach Beamer a little bit, got to talk with coach Blackwell. I still haven’t gotten to know Coach Blackwell as good as I want to yet. Hopefully, I can get back down soon to really get to know him.” Clemson is a recent offer – running backs coach CJ Spiller watched MVP the Friday night before the Appalachian St. game, and offered McGill on his Clemson visit. “They will always be in my thinking for recruiting as well because they are an in-state school,” McGill said. “What I like about Clemson, I like the off-field aspects about Clemson. Everything about Clemson is great. They’ve got great academics. Great people around you. Great people to make you a better man to build your character and academically. They’ve got it all.” However, Spiller and the Tigers have a lot of ground to make up and he said his relationship with Spiller is still developing. “It’s not as strong as I really want it to be,” McGill said. “Me and Coach Spiller, we’re pretty cool. I’ve been down there a couple of times. He’s not really coming at me as hard. He’s come at me hard, but not really.” McGill said the schools recruiting him the most right now include Rutgers, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Texas among others. Last season, McGill rushed for 1792 yards, averaging 8.7 yards per carry. He finished with 2092 all-purpose yards and 30 total touchdowns. In four games this season, he has rushed for 486 yards, averaging 12.5 yards per carry and six touchdowns. He’s also caught 16 passes, four of which were touchdowns. Great Thursday Night Game Yesterday Due To The Hurricane! 4-0! 4 TDs, 298 All Purpose, 233 Rushing, 65 Reciving! @MVPFootballSC @CoachBiggs13 @CoachRamseyMVP @CoachBaileyMVP @Coach_Keller61 @CoachSolesbee19 pic.twitter.com/MNtYNQPyi2
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