Clemson defensive ends coach Chris Rumph is always on the prowl for quarterback rushers, and he and defensive recruiting assistant James Haynes identified defensive end Jamarion Matthews of Harvest, Ala., as someone they think can do the job.
Matthews (6-3, 240) had around 20 sacks last season and earned all-conference honors. Haynes was in for a game at Death Valley in September, and in November, Matthews picked up an offer from Rumph.
“I was really waiting on the offer for a while, ever since I been down there,” Matthews said. “My first time visiting Clemson, I loved everything about it. I loved how much the staff cared for the players, the atmosphere and the coach communication. It felt good being at Clemson and I’ve just loved it ever since.”
Matthews added that a few things he saw on his game visit really stood out to him.
“Player communication,” he said. “I was watching them, players communicating, cheering on others, once they are down, the players pick them back up. I like how the D-line rotates. That’s really what I’ve seen and what I like about Clemson.”
Matthews said since being offered by Clemson, the coaches have kept up their contact with him.
Rumph and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney made a school visit with Matthews on Jan. 16. Coaches from Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Vanderbilt, Florida and Arkansas were also in for school visits in January.
Matthews has seen his recruiting take off with January offers from Nebraska, Florida State, LSU, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt. He also has offers from Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Penn State and Louisville. The Clemson offer, however, carried some extra punch.
“It puts Clemson towards the top,” Matthews said. “I really don’t have a list in order of colleges that I’ll probably commit to. I have a top five or top four, so they really are at the top, though. Up there with them is Ole Miss, ‘Bama, Florda and Penn State.”
Matthews visited Alabama, Vanderbilt and Florida State in January for junior days. He plans to make his commitment decision before his senior season.
South Carolina
South Carolina defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Clayton White gave LB Nick Abrams (6-2, 217) of Owings Mills, Md., his sixth offer. Penn State was the first to offer, and Abrams is now sitting on nearly 30 offers. He has cut that list in half with a top 15, and the Gamecocks are in that group.
“South Carolina was one of the schools that offered me early, so they’ve always been a school I’m pretty interested in,” Abrams said. “Watching the games and how they play, the defense, how they swarm to the ball and the overall effort they play with. Talking with Coach White, great coach and great guy, he’s shown me how I would fit in their defense. He’s telling me the things he likes about me, my length, my speed, my power when I make a tackle and being a game-wrecker. It’s been pretty good talking with him, and I look forward to talking with him more.”
Abrams has never visited USC but is hoping to get down for a spring practice. He and White are developing a tight relationship largely because of how he views White’s approach to recruiting him.
“He called me to offer me from his son’s JV game, so that tells me that family is really important to him, and he really cares about his players, and he knows how to cater to them and get the best out of them,” Abrams said. “Talking with him, everything was eye-opening and making me more interested in South Carolina and wanting to be coached by him.”
Abram’s only January visit for a junior day was to Texas A&M, and he said he had a great time with the Aggies. Abrams has not yet lined up spring or summer visits, but he’s working on that from this top 15 list. The others on the list are Michigan, Penn State, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan State, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Duke, Syracuse, Oregon, Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Southern Cal. He does know what he’s looking for in his ultimate choice.
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Abrams said he will make his commitment announcement on his birthday, July 16. Last season Abrams recorded 77 tackles with nine tackles for loss, four sacks and one interception.
Notes
• Timberland OT Desmond Green has set up three more official visits per Sam Spiegelman of Rivals. He has Virginia Tech on April 11, Oklahoma on June 6 and Florida on June 13. He already has visits set with Georgia on May 30 and USC on June 20.
• Clemson and USC target OT Bear McWhorter has set Feb. 28 for his commitment announcement. McWhorter has a final five of Clemson, USC, Alabama, Florida and Michigan. McWhorter is a former Alabama commitment.
• Per his dad, QB Brady Smigiel of Newbury Park, Calif., will visit Washington on March 8, South Carolina on March 27, UCLA on April 3, Michigan on April 19 and an official visit to Washington on June 19.
• WR Devin Fitzgerald (6-2, 195) of Phoenix, son of Larry Fitzgerald, plans to visit Clemson for junior day March 8. He visited UCLA, Southern Cal and Arizona State in January. He has offers from UCF, Vanderbilt, Arizona State, Iowa State, Boston College, UCLA, Duke, Florida State, Kansas State, Cal, Minnesota, Pitt, Arizona and Washington State.
• South Carolina offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley offered OT Kamari Blair (6-6, 280) of Clarksville, Tenn., in late January, so he’s had to do some catching up with the other programs. He’s done well enough to get the Gamecocks in his top five and on his calendar for an official visit this summer. Along with USC, Blair said he is planning to take official visits to Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Indiana and Ole Miss this summer. He calls Vanderbilt his current favorite. Other offers from Blair include Penn State, Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, West Virginia, Memphis, Cincinnati and Georgia State.
• South Carolina target DT Brian Harris decommitted from Maryland. He will officially visit Stanford in May on a date to be determined, then he has West Virginia on June 6, N.C. State on June 13th and USC on June 20. He'll also set a date with Ole Miss.
• OL Tre Aiken of Clinton named a top five of USC, Florida, Georgia Tech, N.C. State and Virginia Tech. Per VTScoop, he has officials set with all but Florida with USC down for June 20. He has Georgia Tech on May 30, N.C. State on June 4 and Virginia Tech on June 13.
• WR Gordon Sellars of Charlotte set his official visit to Clemson for May 30. He also has scheduled official visits to USC on June 6, Georgia on June 13, Michigan on June 20 and North Carolina on June 27.
• OT Carter Scruggs of Leesburg, Va., set an official visit to Clemson for May 30. He also plans to visit Clemson for the junior day March 8. He also has official visits set with Michigan on June 6, Penn State on June 13 and Georgia on June 20.
• South Carolina commitment CB Peyton Dyer has set official visits to Southern Cal on June 6 and Georgia on June 13. His visit to USC is set for June 20.
• OT Adam Guthrie of Washington Court House, Ohio, has set official visits to Clemson May 30, Ohio State June 6 and Penn State June 13th per Steve Wiltfong of On3. Guthrie also plans to visit Clemson March 8th for the junior day. He also visited Clemson for a game last September.
• South Carolina target CB Khary Adams sets more official visits: Auburn on May 16, Penn State on June 6, Notre Dame on June 13 and Oregon on June 20. He has the Gamecocks down for May 30. He also was offered by Florida State on Wednesday. He also picked up an offer from Miami.
• USC target DT Noah Clark set an OV with Virginia Tech for June 13. He has USC down for June 6 and N.C. State set for June 20. He also picked up an offer from Michigan.
• Carvers Bay OT Zyon Guiles has set official visits to Clemson on May 30, USC June 6, Florida on June 13 and Georgia on June 20. He also plans to set a visit with Tennessee.
• USC and Clemson target RB Carsyn Baker has set an official visit to Texas A&M for June 20. He told Alex Jones of TheBigSpur he will visit Florida State on March 22, and Paul Strelow of TigerIllustrated reported he will visit Clemson for its junior day March 8.
• Clemson target SAF Kaden Gebhart (6-2, 195) of Lewis Center, Ohio, has official visits set with Clemson on May 30, Ohio State on June 6 and Penn State on June 13.
• Penn State RB commitment Messiah Mickens of Harrisburg, Pa., said in an On3 article South Carolina is one of the schools he’s considering for an official visit since he is looking at other options following the departure of the Nittany Lions’ running backs coach. Mickens has set official visits with Notre Dame, which hired the Penn State coach, and North Carolina. He said he was also looking at Missouri and Tennessee. Mickens is close friends with USC wide receiver signee Lex Cyrus.
• USC target OT Ben Boulware of Winston-Salem, N.C., was offered by Southern Cal.
• Dorman SAF Kentavion Anderson was offered by North Carolina.
Basketball
South Carolina target Jordyn Jackson plans to visit Ohio State in March and Alabama in April. She has visited Maryland.
• 2027 6-7 LJ Smith of Lincolnton, N.C., visited Clemson for the North Carolina game.
Baseball
South Carolina landed a commitment for the 2025 class in 3B Dawson Harman (6-4, 234) of the College of Central Florida JC. The power-hitting Harman has seven home runs and a .391 batting average in 12 games this season. Harman, a right-handed hitter, also plays in the outfield. He has committed four errors in 25 chances this season. Harman spent his freshman season at High Point, where he hit .250 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 40 games.