Clemson football making last-second push for five-star quarterback recruit

The Clemson football team is making one last run at a five-star quarterback recruit ahead of next week’s early signing period, according to a report.

Tigers offensive coordinator Garrett Riley is expected to make an in-home visit with five-star 2024 Willis (Texas) High School quarterback and longtime Florida commit DJ Lagway, according to a Tuesday report from 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong.

Lagway’s father, Derek, told Wiltfong that his son has been “locked in with Florida for close to a year” but the family is receptive to “just sitting down and listening” to pitches from other coaches. Florida coach Billy Napier will make an in-home visit, but so will Riley, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko and Houston coach Willie Fritz.

Elko (formerly of Duke) and Fritz (formerly of Tulane) are both new hires.

Clemson was heavily involved in Lagway’s recruitment last year; he was actually the first 2024 quarterback recruit the team offered a scholarship to, beating out eventual Michigan commit Jadyn Davis by a few days.

The Tigers were a top-five school for Lagway, who visited campus at least three times last calendar year and spoke glowingly about the program’s culture. His father told On3 Sports last year that if Lagway chose Clemson, “he’d be in good hands.”

Lagway verbally committed to Florida last Dec. 7 and hasn’t wavered in his pledge to the Gators since, despite Florida going 6-7 last year and 5-7 this season, failing to reach a bowl game in Napier’s second season. He’s also been actively recruiting other top prospects to join him at UF since committing.

Because of that, flipping him is viewed as a long shot.

Lagway (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) ranks as the No. 3 quarterback and No. 14 overall recruit in the 247Sports composite rankings. His senior season at Willis was also one of the best in Texas high school football history.

The senior set a new Texas Class 6A single-season record for touchdown passes with 59 and had 75 total touchdowns in 13 games. Lagway completed 72.1% of his passes for 4,605 yards and also had 953 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns as his team went 12-1, its best record in over 60 years, and made the regional semifinals.

Earlier this week, MaxPreps named Lagway one of the five finalists for its National Player of the Year award. Lagway, who also plays basketball and baseball, has drawn comparisons to current NFL quarterbacks Justin Fields and Hendon Hooker.

Clemson has struck out on four different quarterback recruits this class and currently has zero signed for the Class of 2024 heading into next week’s early signing day. Lagway (Florida), Davis (Michigan), Walker White (Auburn) and Air Noland (Ohio State) have all committed elsewhere after getting Clemson offers.

What is Clemson’s QB situation?

The news of Riley’s in-home visit with Lagway came hours after Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, during a news conference, emphasized the team was “committed” to sophomore Cade Klubnik as its starting quarterback past 2023.

Heading into the Dec. 29 Gator Bowl against Kentucky, Klubnik has thrown for 2,580 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions while leading Clemson to an 8-4 record. The former five-star 2022 prospect has also fumbled five times and ranks No. 69 nationally in quarterback rating at 58.4, per ESPN.

“We really believe in that kid,” Swinney said. “He’ll be a junior. And I think, if he stays the course, when he walks out of here in a couple of years, this kid’s going to be a great winner here. I really believe that. And so does everybody else in the building.”

Because of that confidence in Klubnik, Swinney said, Clemson did not plan to look into the transfer portal to find another quarterback. But he didn’t explicitly rule out further recruiting of high school quarterbacks.

As of today, Clemson’s 2024 quarterback room will feature a junior Klubnik as QB1, redshirt freshman and former four-star recruit Christopher Vizzina as the backup. The Tigers also have walk-on Trent Pearman, a former two-time SC Gatorade Player of the Year, and transfer Paul Tyson.

Tyson, formerly of Alabama and Arizona State, will have a student coach role with the Tigers next fall after serving as the No. 3 quarterback this year, but Swinney said he’ll stay in shape as an emergency option.

Clemson, Swinney said, may also look around for a preferred walk-on quarterback to bring in for the 2024 class to provide further competition for the room.