Coveted WR Talks Visit from Clemson, Where Tigers Stand
By: Gavin Oliver January 25, 2024

On Tuesday, Clemson paid a visit to a priority wide receiver target from the Sunshine State ranked as a top-100 national prospect in the 2025 class.

Homestead (Fla.) High four-star Cortez Mills drew a school stop from head coach Dabo Swinney, receivers coach Tyler Grisham and offensive coordinator Garrett Riley.

“It felt great for (the coaches) to come down and stop by and spend time with me, talk to me about football and how they can help me develop as a young man and as a football player and stuff like that,” Mills told The Clemson Insider.

Mills worked out at the Swinney Camp last June and became the first wide receiver in his class to score an offer from Clemson.

The 6-foot-2, 170-pound junior is a top-100 prospect nationally according to multiple recruiting services, including ESPN, which ranks him as the No. 11 receiver for the 2025 cycle.

According to Mills, the Clemson coaches made it clear when they came by his school that he’s a coveted recruit for the Tigers.

“What I was really hearing — how bad they want me and how I’m a gamechanger and I can change the program, I can help the program out a lot,” he said, “and I’m just one of the missing pieces that they need to the offense and stuff like that.”

Clemson has been in contact for quite some time with Mills, who said the Tigers keep in touch with him daily. Grisham is the coach Mills communicates the most with.

“We’ve got a great relationship,” Mills said of Grisham. “He’s a cool guy. He keeps it real, and I just love his energy and his vibe.”

2025 four-star Homestead (Fla.) wide receiver Cortez Mills during the Dabo Swinney Football Camp in Clemson Sunday, June 11, 2023. Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider

Mills also stays in touch with Swinney and called the Tigers’ head man “a great coach.”

“He’s been coaching for a long time, so he really knows what it takes to develop a player and help them get to the next level,” Mills said.

As for Riley and his offense, Mills sees himself fitting into it as a versatile, downfield weapon if he were to play for the Tigers.

“The offense is pretty smooth,” he said. “Everything flows well, and if I go there being a part of that offense, I’d just add an extra deep threat. I’m one of them guys that can do mostly anything on the field, and they told me them using me in their offense, I can work three spots on their offense, three receiver spots on the field.”

Mills is planning a return trip to Clemson, potentially in March, and said the Tigers will definitely get one of his official visits. The Swinney Camp last summer marked his first and only time on campus so far.

“When I first got there, they showed a lot of love even though I was just going out there to try out for the camp,” he said. “They showed me and my family love, and they broke everything down to me and they just kept it real. They let me know how much they want me and what I can do to help change the program.”

Mills, who has amassed around 30 total offers, named LSU, Georgia, Florida State, Miami, Nebraska and Penn State as schools showing the most interest at this stage of his recruiting process along with Clemson.

Where do the Tigers stand with him right now?

“No doubt the Tigers stand top five,” he said.

Mills said he’s shooting to make his commitment decision in the spring.