A look back on a chaotic, successful recruiting week for Clemson

Luke made an impression on the four-star lineman Peyton Miller, with Miller calling Clemson's culture unmatched after a day with the staff.

Grayson Mann · Staff Writer · Monday, June 09 2025

Offers, commitments, and so much more.

When the calendar turned to June, plenty was on the horizon.

Most of the Clemson faithful’s focus was on the do-or-die scenario laid before the postseason unfolding on the diamond.

Behind the scenes, recruiting was being set in a positive direction. Clemson was conducting its final days of official visits, with the top 2026 targets taking part in a final look at Dabo Swinney’s program.

Beyond that, 2027 offers had begun to come out, shaping the future targets that this staff wants on campus.

In addition to everything outlined, Swinney’s week-long camp would welcome some of the top prospects in the country, with other countries sending contingents of players to participate.

It is a lot to keep track of, so what were some of the top hits of the week, and what insight can we dive into?

Let’s start with the 2027 offers, with Clemson not having to wait very long for four-star LB Max Brown of Jefferson to commit to the Tigers after a June 1 offer.

This has been a relationship that’s had the writing on the wall for quite some time. His older brother Sammy plays for Clemson, and there’s a lifelong sentimental value that truly no other university could offer.

We were told Ohio State was making a sales pitch the weekend the offer came out, desperate to sway Brown in another direction. Ultimately, it was a Hail Mary that was rendered incomplete.

An additional part of the appeal, which seems to be the theme for another top linebacker in the country, is the appeal of Ben Boulware.

Boulware’s tenure as the linebackers coach has only just started, however, his pull and reputation seem to have already laid the groundwork for top prospects in the country.

Certainly, in the case of four-star linebacker Cooper Witten of Argyle (TX), that reputation speaks for itself. The top-rated prospect came on Wednesday and received an offer that same day. When asked what made Clemson stand out, working with Boulware was one of his top reasons.

One of Clemson's most significant moves of the week had to come on the final day of Swinney's camp, where the top signal caller on Garrett Riley's board came to throw.

For four-star Peyton Houston, the trip to the Upstate wasn't exactly easy, and he was likely lacking sleep, but he put on a show in front of Clemson's staff. After that camp session, he was given the grand tour of campus, with Riley taking the time to simulate what it would be like for him to be the starter at Clemson. They broke down film and prepared as if Houston was suiting up in orange this Saturday.

The day culminated in an offer from Clemson, with Houston telling TigerNet that Swinney's program sits as one of his top schools. That will be a relationship to watch.

When it comes to other camp offers, 2027 tackles Peyton Miller of Anna (TX) and Carter Jones of Poquoson (VA) were extended those this week as well. Miller doesn't have the extended history with the Tigers that Jones already holds, but Luke made an impression on the four-star lineman, with Miller calling Clemson's culture unmatched after a day with the staff.

That reputation also extended into The First Academy's Reed Ramsier, who received an offer from the Tigers on the first day of Swinney's camp, and might've overworked himself into a leg cramp in Luke's office.

When speaking on the offer, Clemson sits high due to seeing how his teammate and current Clemson commit, Chancellor Barclay, has been treated. The overwhelming positive reception that Barclay relays about Luke and the Tigers has left a pretty serious impression on Ramsier, with the Tigers sitting at the top of his current list.

Speaking of Luke, he is on an-time heater with the 2026 class. In back-to-back days, he picked up four-star pledges Leo Delaney of Charlotte (NC) and Carter Scruggs of Leesburg (VA), Loudoun County.

Luke, along with Clemson's official visit magic, has currently snared three commitments in two days, with three-star edge JR Hardrick relaying a Tiger commitment was inevitable after an offer in May.

Delaney has described the Tigers as a "one-of-a-kind" program, and he relayed that Luke's influence, along with Swinney's impact, put together the final pieces enough for two highly touted linemen to shut down official visits to Penn State and Michigan.

The Elite Retreat was a reminder of the possibility that Clemson's star power was potentially on the rise. The official visit weekend's results have only continued to prove it's here to stay.

As the 2027 class comes into focus, the Tigers' staying power, paired with influential coaches on both sides of the ball, could be the recipe for another star-studded cast of commitments for the future of the program.