Why Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley is already resonating with recruits

A hibachi lunch in Pennsylvania.

A snowball fight in Massachusetts.

And a lot of quarterback check-ins.

Safe to say it’s been a busy few days on the job for new Clemson football offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, the rising star hired away from TCU last week to replace fired Tigers OC Brandon Streeter and get Dabo Swinney’s offense back to a national championship level come 2023.

The NCAA’s January contact period started last Friday, the same day Clemson’s board of trustees approved a three-year contract making Riley, 33, the third highest paid offensive coordinator in the country with an annual base salary of $1.75 million.

Since then, the 2022 Broyles Award winner has been hard at work on the recruiting trail – enough that Clemson is delaying his formal introductory news conference until after the current contact period ends Jan. 30, per a school release.

As expected, this week’s been a mixed bag for Riley, whose dynamic, quarterback-friendly offenses have delivered big results in previous offensive coordinator stints at TCU and SMU.

He’s tagged along to meet a number of Clemson’s 2023 signees. He’s connected with key recruits Clemson’s targeting in the Class of 2024, as well as their coaches. He’s even made some inroads in the Class of 2025 at the QB position, which he’ll also coach for the Tigers.

As for the early impressions?

“He said he just wants to build a bond with me,” three-star 2023 running back signee Jarvis Green of Dutch Fork High School told TigerNet.

“He seemed like a very chill guy,” three-star 2024 offensive tackle Blake Franks of Greenville High School told Clemson247.

“Coach Riley was amazing from the jump,” three-star 2023 tight end signee Markus Dixon of Pennsylvania told TigerIllustrated.

Riley started making in-home visits to 2023 signees with other staffers Monday, but his recruiting started informally last Saturday when he attended a men’s basketball home game against Duke with Swinney and starting quarterback Cade Klubnik, among others.

The new hire drew raucous applause from a capacity crowd at Littlejohn Coliseum when he was introduced at midcourt with his wife, Lindsay, and his two sons.

While in town, Riley also checked in with Franks, a three-star 2024 offensive tackle recruit who attended the game ahead of a planned February decision, and Green, a three-star 2023 running back signee who was there on his official visit weekend before enrolling this summer.

Then, it was travel time. Per TigerIllustrated, Riley and other offensive coaches had breakfast with 2023 athlete signee Misun “Tink” Kelley of nearby Daniel High School before flying out to visit with two more summer enrollees living in the Northeast.

Riley, Swinney, wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham and tight ends coach Kyle Richardson all traveled to Warminster, Pennsylvania, for a meal and a check-in with Dixon, one of Clemson’s two 2023 tight end signees.

Later that night, Riley, Swinney and Grisham were also in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to see Hanafin, a four-star athlete recruit expected to play outside receiver at Clemson. They also took part in a snowball fight that made the rounds on Hanafin’s Twitter.

“You can tell he comes from a hard-working, humble family and has worked very hard to earn the opportunities that he has had,” Hanafin told Clemson247 of Riley.

Naturally, the rest of Riley’s week has centered around recruiting the quarterback position. Here’s a quick look at some of his early signal caller-related moves. Per NCAA rules, coaches aren’t allowed to speak with recruits in-person on these visits.

• On Tuesday, Clemson247 reported that Riley visited Lexington (Ky.) Christian Academy. That’s the home of four-star 2025 quarterback Cutter Boley, who ranks as the No. 4 QB and No. 54 overall recruit in his class. Heading into his junior season, Boley has offers from prominent schools including Alabama, Michigan and Florida State.

• Riley was in Charlotte on Wednesday to watch five-star 2024 quarterback Jadyn Davis work out, per 247Sports. Michigan’s still the frontrunner to land Davis, but Clemson’s among the many other schools making late pushes. Building a new relationship here will be key, as Davis’ relationship with Streeter was a big part of his initial Clemson interest.

• Also on Wednesday: Riley visited Calvary Day School in Savannah, Georgia, to speak with coaches of four-star 2024 quarterback Jake Merklinger, per TigerIllustrated. Merklinger doesn’t have a Clemson offer yet but could be on the shortlist to get one depending on how things progress with Davis and four-star QB Walker White.

• Finally, according to TigerIllustrated, Thursday will bring Riley to Findlay High School in Ohio. That’s where 2025 quarterback Ryan Montgomery plays, and his 13 offers include Georgia, Ohio State and Miami. There’s mutual interest: Montgomery visited Clemson last summer and last fall for a game and said he expects to return this spring.

Riley will also be a key part of Clemson’s Elite Junior Day event, a recruiting extravaganza for top Class of 2024 targets scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 28.