Clemson’s first offer at wide receiver for the 2024 recruiting cycle went to Alex Taylor (6-2 175) of Greensboro, NC, but that isn’t the reason he has Clemson as one of his top schools. Instead, it’s the Tigers’ history of putting wide receivers in the NFL.
Taylor received a Clemson offer back in June, the first extended to a wide receiver in his class. Taylor, who visited Clemson in March and returned for head coach Dabo Swinney’s high school camp in June, revealed that getting the offer validated all the hard work he’s put in.
“It was super exciting. There are all these great receivers across the country and me being the first means a lot,” Taylor said. “It actually helps with the recruitment as well, because they see me as highly as they do and because they offered me as early as they did, is super exciting.”
Wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham extended the offer to Taylor on a date they have in common – they share a birthday.
“Me and Coach Grisham were just starting to build a relationship at that point,” the wideout noted. “We have been talking more and more lately. At camp, he was seeing what I can do in person. I talked to him a little after the camp and they offered me, and it was awesome that it happened on my birthday. They really just wanted to see what I could do at the camp. And then me being the first 2024 offer was awesome.”
Taylor said he talks to Grisham and is hopeful to learn more about Swinney.
“We really talk about anything. We just catch up about real life things and then we might talk about football,” Taylor said of Grisham. “It’s super cool being around a Hall of Fame coach like Coach Swinney and talking to him and I am looking forward to getting to know him better.”
Taylor hasn’t begun the process of paring down his college favorites, but he’s got a pretty good idea of where the Tigers stand at this point.
“Right now, I don’t really have a list. I think I am going to start dropping it down after my junior year,” he said. “So, during this season I will make a top-10 or a top-12 during the spring. But if I was to make a list right now, Clemson would be at the top. I really love the school overall, especially the coaches. Having a lot of former players on the coaching staff and them having a lot of NFL talent in the past year is big. I really like the school overall. Definitely them being in the top-5 every year and having NFL guys like Sammy Watkins and Nuk Hopkins. They have had so much NFL talent in the past, and Coach Grisham knows what it takes to get there because he has been in the league as well. That really stands out to me.”
Other schools catching the North Carolina prospect’s attention include UNC, Duke, Virginia Tech, and NC State. He plans to visit NC State on July 26th, UNC on the 29th, and Duke on the 30th. He said he also hopes to make it back to Clemson for a game this fall.
As a sophomore, Taylor caught 44 passes for 660 yards with six touchdowns.
