Top quarterback prospect has Clemson in his list of top schools

Air Noland will visit Clemson in March.

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Sat Feb 25 07:00:15 GMT-04:00 2023

Clemson is on the shortlist for one of the region's top quarterback prospects.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Garrett Riley are looking over more quarterback candidates for their 2024 class after missing out on Walker White who committed to Auburn earlier this month. One possibility for an offer next month is (Prentiss) Air Noland (6-3 195) of Fairburn, GA.

Noland already has an impressive offer list of Alabama, Arkansas, Miami, Texas A&M, Auburn, Tulane, NC State, Purdue and Louisville. He hears a lot from them, and he hears a lot from Clemson. The schools that are trending with him at this point are the ones showing the strongest interest.

“Schools that have been in contact with me on a daily basis are the schools that I will put at the top of my list and those are the schools I can see myself potentially playing at,” Noland said. “Making some type of change not only on the field but off the field. Just having a great impact. Those are the schools I think not only myself but my family could see myself at. Of course, Clemson, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Alabama, Arkansas and Miami. That’s about it.”

Riley had an existing relationship with Noland from his time at TCU, so that’s a bonus for Clemson as the coaches there try to forge a new relationship with him.

“I’ve been talking to coach Garrett Riley for quite a bit, since he was at TCU,” Noland said. “I’ve been talking to Coach (Mike) Reed, Coach (Tyler Grisham). All three of those coaches, I think they love what they see on film. Of course, they’ve heard great things, eye-opening things about me. Not only have they heard eye-opening things about me, they saw eye-opening things on the film. They want to get to know the person I am, and I have no issue with that. I can’t wait to get down to Clemson. I think all three of those coaches are great coaches. You can see why Coach Swinney has them as the coaches that they are at Clemson.”

Noland posted huge numbers last season. The left-hander last season passed for 4,095 yards and 55 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He completed 73% of his attempts. He thinks that the Air Raid offense Riley professes might be a good fit.

“It’s very appealing man,” Noland said. “Coach Riley loves to take his shots when he cans. If you’re on the outside looking in, it looks like he take his shots 65% of the time. Coach Riley loves his quarterbacks. You can tell by the plays he runs and how he speaks volumes about the quarterbacks he’s coached. I think Coach Riley has a very quarterback-oriented offense. It’s a lot on the quarterback in an offense like that. You have to be on your Ps and Qs at all times…in the film room, on the field and off the field. With the offensive system like Coach Riley’s, it’s a lot on the quarterback, but at my high school it’s a lot on me when you’re talking protection or you’re talking on the formation or you’re talking on the coverage or the coverage beaters. If they give you this coverage, where to go with the football. Coach Riley’s offense is very appealing to me. I think it gets you very prepared for the next level, which is the NFL.”

In January, Noland went to junior days at Texas A&M and Alabama. He plans to take unofficial visits to Clemson March 10-11, Arkansas March 13-14, Miami March 23rd and Ohio State March 31st. The Buckeyes have yet to offer. He also plans to visit Alabama, Texas A&M and Purdue.

Noland said he will take official visits in the summer from the schools at the top of his list.

“I have favorites but I don’t have a number one,” Noland said. “There are schools at the very, very top of my list, and I think Clemson has climbed that ladder. Schools like A&M, Bama, Miami and Arkansas are at the very, very top of my list. I think Clemson is able to get at the top of my list very, very soon, and also Ohio State.”

Obviously, an offer from Clemson would make a big difference in how Noland feels about the Tigers.

“It will definitely make a difference,” Noland said. “Coach Riley and Coach Swinney, I know they would love to give me an offer, but with a school like that, they want to get to know the person you are. What type of characteristics do you have, the people around you, from the human being I am and things I’ve been through in life. I understand that, and there’s nothing wrong with getting to know somebody.”

Clemson does have a quarterback offer on the table to Jadyn Davis of Charlotte, but Michigan appears to be the frontrunner at this point. The Tigers have also looked into Jake Merklinger of Savannah, but a recent offer from Georgia could swing him to Athens. And yet another possibility is Marcos Davila of Midland, TX who committed to Riley while he was at TCU but decommitted from earlier this week.