Clemson has yet to offer any wide receiver recruits in the 2022 class, but one of those squarely on the Tigers’ radar is four-star Samuel Mbake of IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.).

Mbake, a rising junior with two dozen total offers, told The Clemson Insider that Clemson is among the schools that have been showing the most interest in him to this point.

“Clemson, Michigan, Penn State, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Oregon are communicating the hardest right now,” he said.

Mbake (6-3, 200) has been in contact with Clemson receivers coach Tyler Grisham and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott.

Based on what he has heard from the coaches, Mbake believes an offer from the Tigers is in the cards.

“They already stated that I was the top receiver on their board, so I’m expecting with my hard work and with the grace of God, an offer is coming in the fall,” he said. “Just got to do what I do.”

According to Mbake, he has already built a “really good” relationship with Grisham and Elliott, and their conversations extend beyond just football.

“We’re really talking about what’s going on in the world right now,” he said. “We just talk about life and stuff like that really, the little stuff because we’ve already gotten past the football standpoint in recruiting me so far.”

Clemson has the potential to shake things up in Mbake’s recruitment if it pulls the trigger on an offer and joins schools such as Penn State, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Florida State, Miami, NC State and Virginia Tech on his list.

“It would change the ball game a lot because I know they would come in and other schools would try to chase harder, like very harder,” Mbake said. “But I really like Clemson a lot.”

“Clemson is a very family friendly place, probably one of the best family friendly colleges and athletically family friendly in the country,” he added. “They’re really good with caring for a player, not just a player football wise but a player socially, everyday life, day-to-day basis. Most coaches don’t do it the way Clemson does it.”

On Thursday, the NCAA announced it has extended its recruiting dead period through August 31. So while prospects won’t be able to make college visits until at least September, Mbkae told TCI that Clemson is the first school he plans to check out after the ban on face-to-face recruiting is lifted.

It’s still early in his recruitment, but Mbake has a few favorites right now.

“I would say Clemson and Florida and Penn State,” he said. “Those three right there stand out the most, but they’re not too far from like Bama and Ohio State.”

Before transferring to IMG Academy earlier this year, Mbake was at North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Ga.

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