It's decision time for top ten quarterback- Clemson, Ohio State, or a dark horse?

2024 passer Air Noland‍ earned Garrett Riley’s first quarterback offer at Clemson and is a top-60 prospect in the nation. The 6’2 signal caller captured a state title and led Langston Hughes High School to a 15-0 record last fall. Noland passed for +4,000 yards and 55 TDs during his junior season and is a consensus four-star, top ten quarterback in his class.

The Georgia native traveled to Death Valley on March 11, where new Tiger offensive coordinator Garrett Riley made a strong impression.

“What stood out is that I’m the only quarterback that he’s really recruiting very hard in the 2024 class,” Noland said. “I’m glad that he wants me; he showed throughout the entire day that I’m the guy that he wants.”

The four-star grew up watching Clemson football and looked up to Georgia natives Trevor Lawrence‍ and Deshaun Watson. 

“I’ve always been a fan of Clemson since I could turn on the TV and watch college football,” Noland said. “Clemson stands very high on my board, and I think they have a great chance.”

Noland included the Tigers in his top seven schools list on March 25.

My take:

One month ago, I believed the Tigers were the favorite to land Noland. It made sense. Noland would be a flashy pickup in Riley's first class, and his mature approach to the game would fit the Clemson culture brilliantly.

The tide has turned. 

A late Ohio State offer and visit are concerning from the Clemson perspective. The Buckeyes prioritized Noland down the stretch and were on his top schools' list before officially offering him. Multiple sources close to Noland's recruitment told Clemson Sports Talk that Ohio State is the leader heading into commitment day.

Clemson has missed on 2024 targets DJ Lagway‍, Jadyn Davis‍, and Walker White‍ already. I don’t expect the Tigers to earn a commitment from Noland, and the quarterback board will likely expand within the next week.

Where to watch:

Noland will announce his commitment at a dinner party in south Atlanta Saturday night, and I will attend. We will learn more directly from Noland after his announcement.

His finalists include Alabama, Clemson, Arkansas, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon, and Texas A&M.

The four-star will commit live tonight at 8:45 p.m. on the 247Sports YouTube channel.

Stay locked in on ClemsonSportsTalk.com for more coverage of Noland and Tigers recruiting