Top-6 QB Prospect Shrinks His List
Calhoun High’s Trace Hawkins, a four-star 2028 quarterback, has trimmed his recruiting favorites to six schools: Clemson, LSU, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Virginia Tech and Duke. Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 185 pounds, Hawkins dazzled as a freshman starter with 2,079 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and only one interception, plus 352 rushing yards and five scores. After leading Calhoun to the GHSA 3A state title, he amassed offers from Duke, Georgia Tech, Gardner-Webb, Auburn, Florida, Indiana and Georgia State before adding SMU, Tulsa, Cincinnati, Iowa State and Memphis this year. Visits have taken him to Gainesville, Death Valley, Durham and Baton Rouge, and he plans more trips to his finalists before committing in the fall of his junior season. Hawkins says he values a clear path to playing time and praises Clemson’s tradition and his bond with quarterbacks coach Tajh Boyd.
Behold the modern-day football gladiator, wheeling and dealing like Wall Street’s finest as he parades through college campuses collecting offers like participation trophies. Hawkins must decide if he wants to swap Georgia swamps for Clemson’s swampier expectations or chase bayou glory at LSU—because nothing screams “future NFL superstar” like being wooed by half the Southeast. Meanwhile, coaches must beg, cajole and promise starting roles to a kid who might still be figuring out which end zone to run toward. Stay tuned for the ultimate reality-TV showdown: Man vs. Offers vs. Arm Strength.
Ex-Tiger Predicts Tigers’ Quick Turnaround
Former Clemson lineman and current ACC Network analyst Eric Mac Lain, who played under coach Dabo Swinney, insists the Tigers aren’t in decline despite two subpar seasons and just seven wins in 2025. He highlights Clemson’s two national titles in five years as proof of Swinney’s adaptability and praises incoming transfers and staff tweaks—such as Chad Morris’ return—to spark a 2026 resurgence. Mac Lain points out the NFL Draft haul of nine players and emphasizes that the program’s challenges are learning opportunities. With an opener at LSU looming, he believes the pieces are in place for a prove-it campaign.
Nothing screams confidence like a former player-turned-pundit declaring doom a mere speed bump on the highway to gridiron greatness. Mac Lain’s pep talk is the college football equivalent of telling a shaken soufflé it’s basically a cake—just needs a stronger oven. Sure, seven wins since Y2K called, but hey, two national titles! Toss in a sprinkle of staff changes and a dash of fresh faces, and voilà: instant redemption. What could go wrong? Probably only everything, but optimism never hurt—unless you’re the underdog LSU seeing Clemson roll into Death Valley determined to right five years’ worth of boat rocking.
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