Clemson added another talented quarterback to its future on Thursday.
Four-star signal caller Trace Hawkins announced his commitment to the Tigers, choosing Clemson over LSU, Duke, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt. The Calhoun, Georgia native gives Dabo Swinney and his staff another highly regarded passer to develop as they continue building for the future.
Hawkins has been a familiar face in Clemson over the past year. His first visit came during the 2024 season, and he returned several times in 2026, including trips for the Tigers’ spring game, Elite Day and Swinney’s high school camp. Those visits gave Clemson’s staff multiple opportunities to evaluate the talented quarterback while allowing Hawkins to get a closer look at the program.
The 6-foot-1
passer is coming off a productive sophomore season at Calhoun High School, where he threw for 2,442 yards and 24 touchdowns with only three interceptions. He also added three rushing scores, showcasing his ability to make plays with both his arm and his legs. Recruiting services have already identified him as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2028 class, with both 247Sports and Rivals ranking him among the nation’s top prospects.
Hawkins also becomes the first commitment in Clemson’s 2028 recruiting class, giving the Tigers an early foundation as the staff looks to build around one of the nation’s top young quarterbacks.
Here’s a look at how social media reacted to Clemson landing Hawkins.
Clemson fans how we feeling🐅🐅 pic.twitter.com/a0yHLkm3gC
— Trace Hawkins (@TraceHawkins_16) July 31, 2026
Poise, accuracy, and a little bit of artistry.
— Grayson Mann (@gray_mann21) July 30, 2026
Trace Hawkins has committed to Clemson, giving Chad Morris a field general to work with down the road.
Here’s a look at the 4 ⭐️ Tiger commit: pic.twitter.com/yenkdPGIlZ
From last night: 4-star 2028 QB recruit Trace Hawkins faked a commitment to LSU before picking Clemson during his ceremony. Video courtesy of @Rivals YT livestream: pic.twitter.com/1UqjCBC0Hw
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) July 31, 2026
BREAKING: Class of 2028 QB Trace Hawkins has Committed to Clemson, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 30, 2026
The 6’1 190 QB chose the Tigers over Vanderbilt and LSU
“AGTG!! GO TIGERS🐅”https://t.co/MuLN6hnODr pic.twitter.com/apQLdvINvd
WATCH: QB Trace Hawkins is about to announce his commitment live on the Rivals YouTube channel👀
— Rivals (@Rivals) July 30, 2026
Who will he choose?🤔
Tune in: https://t.co/gWmM13auyM pic.twitter.com/KXpqqJelYd
******** ALL IN COMMITMENT********
— ClemsonSportsNews (@ClemSportNews) July 30, 2026
2028 4 Star QB Trace Hawkins Picks #Clemson over LSU, VT, and a host of others.. Tigers get their First Commit of 2028 and Cornerstone of their '28 class from GA! @followers #ALLIN #CSN #clemsontigers #clemsonuniversity#Clemsonsportsnews pic.twitter.com/GbZ98ySfxN
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Social media reacts to Clemson landing their quarterback in 2028 class
