2026 QB Brock Bradley commits to Clemson: ‘I want to play for coach Swinney’

Birmingham (Ala.) Spain Park quarterback Brock Bradley received an offer from Clemson on Aug. 15. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound signal-caller had already been in contact with head coach Dabo Swinney and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Garrett Riley after camping for the Tigers. 

Clemson was a school that Bradley thought about often and knew that if the Tigers offered him, they would rise to the top of his list. That eventually happened, as Bradley committed to Swinney and Co. on Wednesday. 

“Coach Riley is one of the reasons I chose Clemson because I’ve seen how he’s developed quarterbacks for the long-term and his track record,” Bradley told On3. “Also, I want to play for coach Swinney. I feel like he’s a one-of-a-kind coach and you don’t find a lot of guys like that in college football today. Location played a big role as well. I know my parents want to be able to come to games and watch me play. Them being so close is pretty cool.” 

Bradley becomes the latest addition to a recruiting class that already includes a signal-caller in Queen Creek (Ariz.) four-star Tait Reynolds. Yet Reynolds’ pledge had no impact on the Alabama native. 

Instead, Bradley thought about the chance to “compete with the best” and play in a successful offensive system. That has him excited to suit up for Clemson in Death Valley. 

“I felt very comfortable about what they were able to present to me and the opportunity to come in there and compete for the job,” Bradley said. “That’s really all I needed to hear. Once I got the offer and they told me that they wanted me to come, I locked it down.” 

Bradley is excited to play for Swinney and Riley

Clemson has previously reached the pinnacle of college football under Swinney by winning multiple national championships. Bradley hopes to help the Tigers and their head man find similar levels of success in the future. 

“His consistency over the years is the No. 1 thing that stands out to me,” Bradley said. “As the wild world of college football is changing, he sticks with his gut and he follows his path. He doesn’t let other people change the way he thinks and what he wants. Then, I like the way he develops men on and off the field.” 

Riley also has national title experience, as he helped coordinate TCU’s offense to the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Bradley is looking forward to learning under the Clemson assistant once he arrives on campus. 

“He’s a great guy and we’re compatible,” Bradley said. “His offense is a really cool offense for a quarterback to play in. He utilizes the run and the pass game pretty well. I feel like he values an athletic guy at quarterback, so that definitely excites me going into that situation.” 

“He’s an easy guy to talk to off the field,” he added. “He knows a lot about football and he’s coached a lot of quarterbacks that are a lot like me. Max Duggan from TCU reminds me of myself a little bit. Seeing what he is able to do with quarterbacks and his track record ultimately led me to choose Clemson.” 

Bradley’s high school coach believes he will flourish at Clemson

As Bradley prepares for his junior season, he is coming off a strong 2023-24 campaign for Spain Park. He threw for 1,845 yards and 22 touchdowns last year with a 60.5% completion percentage. 

Head coach Tim Vakakes has enjoyed watching Bradley’s growth under center. He is excited to see what his quarterback will do on the next level, especially because he is going to Clemson.

“It’s an incredible fit for him at Clemson,” Vakakes told On3. “It’s like putting a round peg into a round hole. Everything about it fits. The way he’s been raised fits Clemson. My dad coached Dabo at Pelham High School, so I’ve known him since I was a ball boy for his high school team. I’ve known Dabo for a long, long time. Brock and Clemson are probably one of the best fits I’ve ever seen in terms of a quarterback going to a school where he fits in with the culture.”

One of the things that impresses Vakakes most about Bradley is his ability to keep “the main thing the main thing.” He also called the quarterback a winner and “the hardest worker in the room.” 

“He’s very accurate with a football,” Vakakes said. “I’ve never been around a quarterback as accurate… Even fewer of the guys who have elite arms and elite athleticism have the it factor… That separates him… He is the total package.

“He knows what it takes to win. There’s a lot of kids out there that have elite arms and a lot of kids out there who have elite athleticism, but very few have elite arms and elite athleticism. There’s not a lot of guys out there like him.”