Clemson is in the mix for one of the top quarterback names in the 2028 class, and Trace Hawkins is already narrowing the field.
The Calhoun, Ga., standout announced his top six schools Tuesday afternoon on X, and Clemson made the cut along with LSU, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Virginia Tech and Duke.
Hawkins is one of just two quarterback offers Clemson has handed out so far in the 2028 cycle. The other is three-star dual-threat Trey Wright.
According to the 247Sports Composite, Hawkins is a four-star prospect ranked No. 294 overall, No. 20 at quarterback and No. 47 in Georgia.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior first popped as a freshman for the Yellow Jackets in the 2024-25 season. In his first year as a starter, he completed 68% of his passes for 2,079 yards, 23 touchdowns and one interception.
He also added 77 carries for 352 rushing yards and five scores. That season ended with a GHSA 3A State Championship win over Jefferson, the same school Clemson commit Max Brown attends.
After that breakout year, Hawkins picked up his first seven offers from Duke, Georgia Tech, Gardner-Webb, Auburn, Florida, Indiana and Georgia State. He made only two unofficial visits during the spring and summer, going to Gainesville in April and then to Tigertown for the annual Dabo Swinney Football Camp.
As a sophomore, Hawkins took another step statistically, throwing for 2,442 yards, 24 touchdowns and three interceptions while running 31 times for 153 yards and three touchdowns. Calhoun entered the playoffs as a six-seed before being upset by Douglass High School in a 12-0 shutout.
His offer list has grown quickly since the New Year. Hawkins has added 10 more, including SMU, Tulsa, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Memphis and the rest of his top six, with the exception of Duke.
He has also been more active on the visit trail over the past year, taking trips to Duke, Auburn and Clemson during the season, then returning to Death Valley twice and to Durham once in the spring. He also camped in Baton Rouge earlier this summer.
Hawkins is aiming to make his commitment around the start of his junior season, sometime in September or October, and he says where a school sees him on the depth chart will matter.
“Some schools say you could be fifth or sixth, and some say you might be their guy,” he told On3’s Chad Simmons. “You really need to talk to the coaches and see where they see you in their offense.”
As for Clemson, Hawkins pointed to the program’s tradition and culture, along with his relationship with quarterbacks coach Tajh Boyd, who remains the ACC all-time touchdown leader from his playing days with the Tigers.
Before he trims things down even further, Hawkins plans to be back on the road for Clemson’s season opener against LSU in Baton Rouge, along with multiple other games from schools in his top group.
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