2021 QB enjoys Clemson visit, sets return trip
By: Gavin Oliver July 28, 2019

On Thursday, class of 2021 quarterback Colten Gauthier from Dacula (Ga.) Hebron Christian Academy made his first unofficial visit to Clemson.

“It went well,” Gauthier told The Clemson Insider. “I took a tour of the campus, stadium, football facility, academics and sat for one and a half hour with (quarterbacks) coach (Brandon) Streeter and talked Clemson football.”

Gauthier’s parents accompanied him on the visit.

“My dad and mom enjoyed it a lot,” he said. “My mom is a teacher, so she is big on the graduation rates of the football team.”

Clemson coaches visited Gauthier’s school on two separate occasions during the spring evaluation period. The Tigers wanted to see him throw at the Dabo Swinney Camp in June, but he was not able to attend due to a planned family event.

According to Gauthier, the Tigers have been communicating with his head coach – former longtime Indianapolis Colts center and six-time Pro Bowler Jeff Saturday – for a while.

Gauthier (6-3, 205) was invited to check out Clemson by quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter, and he has already scheduled a return trip to campus for this fall.

“Coach Streeter told me that I am a high priority for them and he loves my size and arm,” Gauthier said. “He is going to a practice or a game this fall. He wants to see me throw live ASAP.

“As far as where they stand, obviously with the culture and success, they are high. I am still building a relationship with the staff and am going to the Clemson vs. Texas A&M game on Sept. 7th.”

Gauthier has garnered offers from well over a dozen schools, including Georgia Tech, Miami, Duke, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Syracuse, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and West Virginia.

Clemson has only offered two quarterbacks in the 2021 class to date, both of whom have committed elsewhere: Denton (Texas) Guyer four-star Eli Stowers to Texas A&M and Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park four-star Drake Maye to Alabama.

Gauthier says the subject of an offer from the Tigers was brought up during his conversation with Streeter.

“Streeter did talk about offering,” he said. “They have only given out two offers to 2021 kids. They have committed elsewhere. They never give out offers without seeing kids throw. That is why he is coming to a practice or game ASAP.”

A self-described gunslinger type, Gauthier threw for 2,185 yards and 21 passing touchdowns en route to first-team all-region honors as a sophomore in 2018.