While Brad Brownell’s side struggles to shore up its 2026 tournament seeding, the Tigers are laying the groundwork for a future heavyweight.
Braxton Bogard, another consensus four-star prospect and one of the best power forwards in the 2028 class, heads unofficial to Clemson for the regular-season finale against Georgia Tech on March 7.
The 6-foot-8, 210-pound sophomore from Archbishop Spalding (MD) currently ranks as the No. 26 overall player and No. 4 power forward in the nation. His recent visit comes on a high-gravity weekend down in the Upstate, which overlaps with the football program’s “Elite Retreat.”
Bogard has become known for playing a blue-collar interior, but has his own offensive touch. Scouts emphasize his “assertive style” around the rim and importance as a secondary shot-blocker. In addition to his defensive contribution,
Bogard has demonstrated the ability to space the floor as a “pick-and-pop” big man, a quality that has served him well on the versatile offensive scheme Brownell has used throughout Clemson’s 20-win season. Clemson still hasn't offered an official scholarship to the Maryland native, but they’re putting him into a recruitment early enough they’re getting him into discussions that are already drawing high-major attention.
Now Bogard has offers from Mississippi State and West Virginia and a handful of other SEC and Big 12 programs are watching his progress. By bringing Bogard on March 7,
Clemson is employing a tried and true strategy: mixing the high-energy game-day energy at Littlejohn Coliseum, and the buzz of the major football recruiting weekend. Some cross-sport synergies like this have previously helped land commits Will Stevens and Harris Reynolds in 2026.
For a program like Clemson, which frequently wins not by one-and-done five-stars but through developmental "fits," scoring a top-30 talent two years earlier and before he has the chance to sign is imperative. If the Tigers can overcome their current stumbles to enter the Georgia Tech game with momentum, they will also give Bogard a look at a program on the uptick.
In the age of the transfer portal, establishing deep-rooted school connections is more critical than ever — and Bogard could be a strong foundation for the Tigers' frontcourt of the future.