5-star QB recruit has Michigan buzz. Why Clemson football is still ‘near the top’

Five-star quarterback recruit Jadyn Davis continues to project as a Michigan football lean. But that doesn’t mean Clemson is completely out of the picture.

247Sports reported Monday that the Tigers are “another school very much near the top” for Davis, the No. 3 quarterback and No. 19 overall recruit nationally in the Class of 2024.

Davis told 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong that he’s “starting to get to that point in the process” where he wants to make a verbal commitment and highlighted Clemson as a program he’s still considering alongside Michigan, his perceived front-runner.

“I’m really excited to see how they develop Cade (Klubnik) this offseason and see how he comes out next year,” he told the website. “And Clemson is really close to home as well. That was a big-time offer when they offered me. I’ve been working for that since the fifth grade.”

Davis, a rising senior at Charlotte’s Providence Day School, is the top-ranked quarterback remaining on Clemson’s board after DJ Lagway, another five-star 2024 QB recruit, committed to Florida over Clemson and other suitors in early December.

Clemson’s been recruiting Davis for over two years and offered him a scholarship last June 1 after he threw at a Dabo Swinney camp. The Tigers had offered Lagway one day earlier, establishing those two players as their top two quarterback targets in the class of 2024.

Davis has previously highlighted Clemson’s championship reputation, its proximity and his relationships with running back Will Shipley (who played his high school ball near Charlotte) and quarterback DJ Uiagalelei (who’s since transferred to Oregon State) as reasons he’s considering the school. He’s also close with offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter.

Streeter, who previously coached Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence as Clemson’s quarterbacks coach, just finished his first season as offensive coordinator. He replaced Tony Elliott, who accepted Virginia’s head coaching job in December 2021.

“Clemson is a big one,” Davis told 247Sports. “Real big. Coach Streeter, obviously he took the job as the offensive coordinator. I’m super excited for him and seeing his development.”

Outside of Michigan and Clemson, Davis told the site Tennessee, Penn State, Florida State and UNC are the among other schools reaching out to him frequently.

Award-winning season

Davis took a big step forward last fall after two seasons at Catawba Ridge (S.C.) High School, where he started on varsity as a true freshman and flashed enough talent to rise to the No. 1 spot in 247Sports’ initial 2024 rankings but didn’t always dazzle statistically.

As a junior transfer at Providence Day, Davis set career high across the board. He completed 72.5% of his passes for 3,425 yards, 43 touchdowns and six interceptions, averaging 15.5 yards per completion and 285.4 yards per game as the Chargers won a state championship.

Davis also had two rushing touchdowns but thrived primarily as a pocket passer. He had five games with five or more passing touchdowns, seven games with 300 or more passing yards and zero multiple-interception games as Providence Day went 12-1.

Davis, listed by 247Sports at 6-foot-½ and 190 pounds, ended up sweeping every major statewide award from Mr. Football to N.C. Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior.

Michigan, which has won back-to-back Big Ten Championships and appeared in back-to-back College Football Playoffs under coach Jim Harbaugh, is widely viewed as Davis’ leader.

He has four separate 247Sports Crystal Ball projections to commit to the Wolverines, and On3 Sports and Rivals also deem them as Davis’ most likely landing spot. He has visited Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus four times since the summer and twice for games, per 247Sports.

According to Wiltfong, Davis’ camp is also “keeping tabs” on reports of Harbaugh entertaining NFL jobs for a second consecutive offseason. Harbaugh, who formerly coached the San Francisco 49ers, interviewed for the Minnesota Vikings’ job last year and is interviewing for the Denver Broncos job this week, according to NFL Network.

Clemson has landed well-regarded quarterback recruits in consecutive classes, with five-star 2022 recruit Klubnik positioned as the team’s long-term starter entering next season and four-star 2023 recruit Christopher Vizzina positioned as the starter-in-waiting.

The Tigers also added a third 2024 quarterback offer to the mix after Lagway, who’s from Texas, committed to Florida. A day after his commitment, Clemson offered four-star 2024 Little Rock Christian (Ark.) Academy quarterback Walker White, who ranks 13th at the position.

In the 2024 class at large, Clemson has two commitments: four-star safety Tavoy Feagin of Carrollwood (Fla.) Day School and legacy kicker Nolan Hauser of Hough (N.C.) High School.

The Tigers are also a finalist for four-star 2024 tight end and No. 102 national recruit Christian Bentancur, who announces between Clemson, Ohio State and Oregon this Friday.