Clemson football lands commitment from elite four-star 2028 quarterback

Clemson is officially on the board in the 2028 recruiting cycle.

The Tigers picked up their first commitment in the class on Thursday when four-star quarterback Trace Hawkins announced he will continue his career at Clemson. The Calhoun, Georgia native selected the Tigers over a group of finalists that included LSU, Duke, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt after building a strong relationship with the coaching staff throughout the recruiting process.

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Landing Hawkins gives Clemson an early foundation for the class, with the talented passer becoming the first player to publicly pledge to the Tigers for 2028. Quarterback has been a priority position for the staff, and Hawkins emerged as one of the top prospects on Clemson’s board after several visits to campus over the last year.

His first trip came during the 2024 season, and he made multiple return visits this spring. Hawkins attended Clemson’s spring game, participated in the program’s Elite Day event and later returned for Dabo Swinney’s high school camp in June. Those visits allowed the coaching staff to evaluate him in person while giving Hawkins plenty of opportunities to become comfortable with the program.

The 6-foot-1 signal caller is coming off an outstanding sophomore campaign at Calhoun High School. He completed the season with 2,442 passing yards and 24 touchdown throws while being intercepted only three times. Hawkins also made an impact on the ground, adding three rushing touchdowns.