The Clemson football coaching staff is now largely assembled and that means that head coach Dabo Swinney and Co. are hitting the recruiting trail with force. It appears that those efforts are paying off as the Tigers are the favorites to land one of the top high school offensive tackles in the class of 2026.
Today, three experts at 247Sports.com put in "crystal ball" predictions for Clemson to secure a commitment from Maxwell Riley, a 4-star offensive tackle from Avon Lake, Ohio. This would be a massive win given that Riley is also being heavily courted by in-state program Ohio State.
Riley is listed at 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds. According to 247Sports' composite rankings, he's the No. 110 overall player and No. 9 offensive tackle in the country for the class of 2026.
What's more, Riley boasts an impressive offer list. In addition to Clemson and Ohio State, he's got offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and others.
He has held an offer from Clemson since June of last year and he took an unofficial visit to Clemson this past November. Additionally, he's taken unofficial visits to Alabama, Florida State, and Penn State.
The class of 2026 is coming together nicely for Swinney and his staff. The Tigers have six players committed including 3-star offensive lineman Braden Wilmes from Lawrence, Kansas.
Overall, the Tigers' 2026 class sits at No. 19 in the nation and No. three in the ACC behind Florida State and Syracuse. Of course, that ranking will fluctuate quite a bit until players start to sign with schools in December.
As per usual, Clemson is leaning heavily on the high school ranks to beef up its offensive line depth. In the class of 2025, the program inked four high school O-linemen including 4-star signees Brayden Jacobs and Easton Ware.
Now, it is time to keep the high school pipeline flowing at that position group. And it appears that the Tigers could be on the verge of adding one of the top prospects in the nation.