Dabo Swinney’s recruiting ethos is known for being “stingy,” but when a player visits Death Valley again in a single spring, you know the smoke is creating a major blaze. Enter Trace Hawkins. The Calhoun, Georgia signal-caller of 2028 is reportedly one of the hottest names in the country. On Wednesday, it was announced that Hawkins has five high-profile spring visits lined up—and Clemson Tigers have picked two in the mix. At the Orange and White Spring Game on March 28 he’ll then be on the road and return for a fresh glance on April 11.
Hawkins isn’t just another kid with a high school highlights tape; he’s a champion of the state with a sophisticated game that beats his age. Ranked No. 5 quarterback in the 2028 class by Rivals, the 6-foot, dual-threat has been a varsity name since he was in seventh grade.
Observe the production from his freshman-sophomore campaigns:
Freshman (2024): 2,079 yards, 23 TDs, 1 interception. He finished the year lifting Calhoun to a 3A State Title over a Jefferson team led by current Clemson LB commit Max Brown.
Sophomore (2025): 2,442 passing yards and 24 TDs, proving his freshman breakout was no fluke.
The kid doesn't just throw; he can scoot.
Over the past two seasons he’s piled up greater than 500 rushing yards and eight scores on the ground, making him perfect for the “dual-threat” evolution Dabo Swinney and Chad Morris are looking for.
Heavyweights like Florida, Duke and Auburn have already thrown scholarship offers at Hawkins, and Clemson is playing its typical game of “wait and see.” But don’t be misled by what would go down—this is Hawkins’ fifth and sixth career visits to the Upstate.
The fact that Hawkins is hanging in there at all is all you need to know about the move into Chad Morris as offensive coordinator. He needs to be coached hard and Clemson wants an elite athlete to head the 2028 class with recent commit Kharim Hughley.
At the beginning of the month, Hawkins is going to be a busy man:
March 28: Clemson (Spring Game)
April 7: Florida State
April 9: Florida
April 11: Clemson (Follow-up visit)
April 18: Duke
And if the Tigers lock him up on that second April trip, maybe that’s the cornerstone of the next great Clemson recruiting class.