If the next recruiting cycle doesn’t truly begin until a quarterback is involved, then you can turn the calendar towards 2028 prospects in the Upstate. The reason? Clemson has handed out one of its first QB offers to Trace Hawkins (6-0, 180) of Calhoun (GA), who has been one of the Tigers’ top recruits for this class.
Hawkins has been no stranger to Clemson’s operation, with the relationship between player and program dating back as far as last fall. He took an introductory gameday visit for the Duke matchup in November, where the Tigers left a strong impression. Tajh Boyd played a major role in cultivating the relationship, prompting the Georgia prospect to return for multiple visits in the spring.
Still, it was all going to come down to a performance at Dabo Swinney’s High School Camp. Hawkins knew it was time to put on a show, and he performed very well under the watchful eyes of offensive coordinator Chad Morris, Swinney, and Director of Player Evaluation Kevin Kelly.
The quarterbacks are always scrutinized, and a strong performance combined with an already established relationship could have positioned Hawkins at the top of the hierarchy. That’s exactly how it all went down. In Hawkins’ mind, an offer was only a matter of time.
“Yes, I felt like it was coming,” Hawkins confessed. “I felt like I performed pretty good at camp, and I feel like that helped my evaluation!”
Before Clemson officially entered the mix, several other schools had already put Hawkins in their plans for 2028. LSU and Lane Kiffin entered the race with an offer last week. Virginia Tech and North Carolina have also extended him offers.
In addition to those schools, Auburn, Indiana, Florida, Georgia Tech, SMU, and Vanderbilt are just a few showing strong interest. Still, among the many programs in the hunt, Clemson has been separating itself for quite some time. Now, Hawkins can attach an offer to that relationship.
“It’s amazing to know I have an offer from Clemson,” he exclaimed. “Clemson is definitely high on my list.”
Hawkins plans to return to Clemson this fall, and while he doesn’t have a timeline for a commitment or a narrowed-down list of competitors yet, it appears it will be difficult for the Tigers to lose ground in his recruitment anytime soon.
Last season, Hawkins passed for 2442 yards with 24 touchdowns and three interceptions.
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