4-star QB recruit set to announce commitment. Where Clemson football stands

Clemson football’s long, winding path toward securing a 2024 quarterback recruit will take another turn this weekend. For better or for worse.

Four-star Langston Hughes (Ga.) High School quarterback Prentiss “Air” Noland is set to announce his college choice Saturday at 8:30 p.m., with the Tigers as one of seven announced finalists along with Alabama, Arkansas, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon and Texas A&M.

Noland, the No. 84 overall recruit in the Class of 2024, visited Clemson on March 11 and announced a scholarship offer a day later — making him the first quarterback to get one from newly hired Clemson offensive coordinator and QBs coach Garrett Riley

Early returns from that trip to Death Valley were glowing, with Noland raving to On3 Sports about Riley’s authenticity and transparency and Clemson’s overall culture.

But the rest of the lefty quarterback’s spring visit tour changed things significantly, to the point where the Tigers are now considered a long shot to land Noland’s commitment Saturday and face the possibility of going 0-for-4 on their first four 2024 quarterback offers.

After Clemson, Noland visited Arkansas, Miami, Ohio State and Alabama, in that order. The Buckeyes, notably, made the rising senior’s top seven list schools list before he had an offer in hand and formally extended him one April 1 during his visit to Columbus.

Two days later, Noland told The Athletic: “I know where I’m going. It feels good. It takes a lot of stuff off the table and just allows me to focus and get ready for my season. It takes a lot of pressure off of me. … You can just go be you now and go help recruit a class.”

The Buckeyes have since surged in Noland’s recruitment, according to the On3 Sports Recruiting Prediction Machine, which gives them a 84.2% chance to land his commitment.

For what it’s worth, Noland has kept his final decision on the down-low and had no formal Crystal Ball predictions from 247Sports national analysts (generally the best indicator of a sure commitment) as of Thursday.

The 6-foot-2 quarterback has been one of the fastest risers in the 2024 class; ranked No. 200 nationally entering his junior season, Noland jumped into the top 100 after throwing for 4,095 yards and 55 touchdowns and leading Langston Hughes to an 15-0 season and Class 6A state championship.

In three seasons as a starter in Georgia’s second-largest high school classification, Noland has a career record of 39-3, a 67.8% career competition percentage and 104 touchdown passes against 16 interceptions. Primarily a pocket passer, he also ran for five scores as a junior.

Andrew Ivins, 247Sports’ director of scouting, compared Noland to star Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and said he “might be the best pure distributor” within the 2024 class. Noland ranks as the No. 7 QB and No. 55 overall recruit in 247Sports’ in-house rankings.

The presence of former five-star 2022 quarterback Cade Klubnik — who dazzled late as a true freshman and is Clemson’s likely starter through 2024 — and five-star 2023 quarterback Christopher Vizzina, his likely backup, has made 2024 recruiting a bit trickier for the Tigers.

The team previously missed out on five-star Willis (Tex.) quarterback DJ Lagway (Florida), five-star Providence Day (N.C) quarterback Jadyn Davis (Michigan) and four-star Little Rock Christian (Ark.) quarterback Walker White (Auburn) after offering all three scholarships.

The Tigers also showed some interest in four-star Calvary Day (Ga.) quarterback Jake Merklinger before he committed to Tennessee and four-star Midland Legacy (Tex.) quarterback Marcos Davila — a former TCU commit when Riley was offensive coordinator — before he flipped to Purdue. But they never formally offered either 2024 player.

As for Clemson’s overall recruiting class of 2024: The Tigers have six commitments and rank No. 17 nationally and fourth in the ACC behind Florida State, UNC and Pittsburgh.

Clemson 2024 football commitments

• 4-star Marian Central Catholic (Ill.) TE Christian Bentancur

• 4-star Carrollwood Day (Fla.) S Tavoy Feagin

• 4-star Troup County (Ga.) S Noah Dixon

• 4-star Meadowcreek (Ga.) DL Champ Thompson, No. 316

• 4-star North Cobb (Ga.) RB David Eziomume

• Hough (N.C.) K Nolan Hauser