Tigers get a new quarterback to add to their depth

On Thursday, Clemson football signed a new quarterback for the class of 2028.

Among the five ACC and SEC finalists for the Class of 2028 quarterback position, Trace Hawkins chose coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers.

Hawkins, a rising junior at Calhoun (Ga.) High School, ranks as the No. 21 QB and No. 317 overall recruit in his class, per 247Sports composite rankings.

He picked Clemson over Vanderbilt, Duke, Virginia Tech, Kentucky, and LSU during a Thursday evening ceremony at his high school.

Hawkins (6-1, 185) led Calhoun to a state championship as a freshman in 2024 and was named MVP of the title game held at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

As a sophomore, Hawkins threw for 2,442 yards and 24 touchdowns against three interceptions. He also rushed for 153 yards with three touchdowns and averaged 216.3 total yards per game. In two years as Calhoun's starter, he has a 21-6 record.

He's also a standout basketball player for Calhoun and averaged 15 points, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game as a sophomore.

Hawkins is Clemson's first Class of 2028 commit. The Tigers, like most programs, only take one scholarship quarterback per recruiting class.

Hawkins' commitment continues a noticeable trend for Clemson, although recruiting rankings may not be the end all, be all. Since Cade Klubnik in the Class of 2022, the Tigers have not landed a five-star quarterback recruit, but Christopher Vizzina briefly held that position.