Cortez Smith

We've been on the road this week, checking in on top prospects as Clemson continues to target the best players in the Southeast. We have the latest on five-star Mike Matthews and much more.

The Clemson Tigers have been busy on the recruiting trail, visiting prospects nationwide as they prepare for a weekend of 2024 official visits in early June. They will extend their first offers in the 2025 class early this summer.The Tigers have been quite active with several 2025 prospects, even though they won't send out any offers for a few more weeks. Here are 17 recruits I expect to be top candidates for the initial wave of offers:Quarterback: I stopped by Houston County high school last week, the home of 2025 four-star Antwann Hill. He told me that Garrett Riley visited the school to see him. Hill has a strong, live arm with several future Division I targets at receiver in the Houston offense. The school is primarily known for baseball - but has a chance to be a top 100 national football program this year with Hill returning as a starter. Riley is deeply interested in Hill, who was once rumored to be a UGA lean. Recently, those rumors have begun to disperse, and Clemson is a school rising in this recruitment. We have a video interview with Hill explaining his relationship with the Tigers coming later this week.Additionally, I expect four-star quarterbacks George MacIntyre and Ryan Montgomery to be solid options for a quarterback offer in this opening wave.Running back: Four-star Lee County running back Ousmane Kromah gushed about his early relationship with Clemson and has spent time on campus with CJ Spiller. Many people in the industry think a battle is shaping up between UGA and Alabama, but Clemson is firmly cemented in the dark horse spot here and will likely make a run at Kromah.Tight end: Ryan Ghea is a 6'6 tight end at Milton High School (Ga.) with a massive catch radius. He has taken multiple visits to Clemson, and Dabo Swinney stopped by the school personally in March. I would be surprised if Ghea wasn't one of the first Clemson offers in this class. Four-star tight end Emaree Winston is another good option here, and will visit the program in early June. Offensive line: David Sanders is the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation. He spoke well of the Tigers during the Under Armour camp in February, and there's no doubt Clemson will want to be officially in the running for his services. Juan Gaston, a massive lineman from Westlake (Ga.) - the same school as the Terrell brothers, caught Clemson's eye a while ago. I'd be surprised if they didn't offer him this summer. Cortez Smith from Parkview High School (Ga.) is a UGA lean- but would be a good character and scheme fit at Clemson. Nicolai Brooks (four-star that just moved to Iowa) and Chauncey Gooden (four-star from Nashville) are other prospects that have reciprocated interest in the Tigers. Still, I'm not as sure they'll receive offers from Clemson this summer as I am with the others.Defensive line: Jared Smith (four-star from Alabama) has excellent length and pass-rush ability. Clemson hasn't turned up the heat in his recruitment yet, but I expect they will over the coming months. Four-star London Merritt (Woodward, Ga.) has visited during the spring and is impressed with Clemson's defensive line tradition. I consider him a sure bet to pick up an offer from the Tigers soon. Also, in-state star Amare Adams has visited Clemson multiple times. He's the top player in the area, so it makes sense for Clemson to pursue him.Defensive back: Five-star Anquon Fegans (Alabama) was the top 2025 prospect in town for the Clemson spring game. Even though he didn't pick up an offer then, I still expect Clemson to extend one this summer, despite his commitment to USC. Dylan Lewis is a four-star from Milton, Ga. He's a Tennessee lean but has visited Clemson this spring. I think the Tigers could make a late run at him before Lewis tries to commit to a program later in the summer. Finally, four-star LSU commit Jaylen Bell is a dark horse offer candidate here. He plans to camp at Clemson in June, and I feel his recruitment isn't fully closed yet. Bell could pick up an offer if the Tigers like him at the camp. He already has a relationship with Clemson cornerback coach Mike Reed through Bell's father.