Clemson’s showdown with No. 4 Miami on Saturday is drawing more than just a packed crowd in Death Valley. It’s also bringing one of the nation’s most coveted offensive linemen back to campus.
Joey Fleming will be on hand for the game, continuing a busy run of game-day visits he locked in back in late August. Clemson is the fourth stop on his list, following Vanderbilt on Sept.
5, LSU on Sept. 12 and Ohio State on Sept. 26.
After Clemson, the schedule keeps rolling with Alabama on Oct. 10, Notre Dame on Nov.
7, Oklahoma on Nov. 14 and the Iron Bowl on Nov. 28.
The 6-foot-5, 275-pound junior from Huntsville, Alabama, carries a consensus four-star grade and sits as high as the No. 28 player nationally, the No. 1 offensive lineman in the country and the No. 1 recruit in Alabama, according to the Rivals Industry rankings.
Clemson has already had multiple chances to make an impression. Fleming first visited Tigertown in early March, then came back in June for Dabo Swinney Football Camp, where he picked up a scholarship offer. He was one of five offensive linemen to get an offer that weekend.
For now, the recruiting buzz still points toward Alabama. On3’s Chad Simmons and Steve Wiltfong each logged expert predictions in July and August for Fleming to end up with the Crimson Tide. Even so, with four visits still left on his calendar, including this trip to Clemson, the race is far from over.
Fleming won’t be the only recruiting name in town for the matchup.
Clemson commit J.J. Brown and safety commit Jarrell Chandler are both expected to attend. Brown’s appearance will mark his second game-day visit of the 2026 season after he was in the building for the home-opening win over Georgia Southern.
A few more 2028 prospects are also set to be there. Graham-Kapowsin (WA.) four-star wide receiver Jayce Halasz, Lawrence Free State (KS.) four-star offensive lineman Reece Wilmes and Emerald (S.C.) three-star safety Desiray Christian are all scheduled to visit.
Halasz is making his first trip to Tigertown. As a sophomore last season, he put up 64 catches for 1,019 yards and eight touchdowns, though Clemson has not offered him yet.
Wilmes has been around the program several times and is viewed as a strong fit for the ACC school, especially with his brother, Braden, having joined Clemson before this past season as part of the 2026 signing class.
Christian has also made multiple trips to Death Valley, with both of his visits coming in the last few weeks. He was there for the home opener against Georgia Southern and again for Clemson’s ACC opener against North Carolina. Like Halasz, he has not received an offer from the program.
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Clemsons Secondary Faces Its Biggest Test Against A Familiar Quarterback
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Tom Allens defense has spent the build-up searching for answers in recent film, trying to sort out the best way to handle Miamis passing game and the weapons around Mensah. Clemson does not just have to account for a quarterback in rhythm, it has to prepare for a different kind of challenge than the one it saw before, with Miamis receivers giving the offense more ways to attack every level of the field. For a secondary that has been under the microscope, this is the kind of test that can reveal a lot in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]