Clemson Officially Loses Out on Coveted Four-Star Quarterback to Michigan

The Clemson Tigers will have to look elsewhere for a quarterback in the 2026 class after one of their top targets has committed to another program.

Cocoa QB Brady Hart rolls away from the Dunnellon defense to pass during their game in the FHSAA football playoffs Friday, November 17, 2023 / Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY / USA TODAY

Things move fast on the recruiting trail and the Clemson Tigers are feeling that right now.

Even with all the attention on the 2025 class at the moment as top uncommitted targets are figuring out where they want to play college football following official visits to different programs around the country, that doesn't mean the future classes are waiting to turn in their verbal commitments.

Clemson hosted the Dabo Swinney Football Camp a couple weekends ago that got some of the top 2026 players on campus to work out with their coaching staff and develop relationships.

This resulted in them offering four-star quarterback Brady Hart following the conclusion of the event.

Ranked as the No. 92 player in the class of 2026, he emerged as a top target of the Tigers, and it sounded like they might be in a good position to land him after he had some very positive things to say after he left campus.

However, there was a report Clemson might be losing some ground in the race to land the coveted quarterback as Michigan really emerged as the leader.

Well, that smoke turned into a fire as Hart officially announced his commitment to the Wolverines on Tuesday.

🏠 #GoBlue 〽️@Hayesfawcett3 @Cocoa_Schneider pic.twitter.com/m8JsBumhq7

— Brady Hart (@BradyHartQB) June 18, 2024

It's not uncommon for top players in different classes to commit early, even before taking their official visits, but this does feel like a surprisingly rapid decision based on who else was involved in his recruitment process.

The 6-foot-5 signal caller was in Ann Arbor this past weekend visiting Michigan, and what occurred during that trip was clearly enough to sway him.

That doesn't necessarily mean Clemson won't be able to flip him, as nothing is officially done until recruits sign the letter of intent, but based on how quickly everything came to be, it might be smart for the Tigers to turn their attention elsewhere in the class of 2026 as they look to land the quarterback of their future.