Clemson has been picky with linebackers in the 2028 class. Only three have gotten offers so far. Camden Noe isn’t one of them yet, but if you’re watching how Ben Boulware operates, the four-star out of Portage Central in Michigan is clearly near the top of the board.
Noe has spent most of his high school career in the backfield, not chasing ball carriers down. That changes this fall. He’s moving to linebacker for his junior year, and at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, he’s got the frame to make it stick. The plan was for him to camp at Clemson in June so Boulware could see him up close, but a toe injury wiped out his whole summer camp schedule.
The injury hasn’t slowed down the relationship, though. If anything, the two are talking more than ever.
“I would say we are messaging or calling every day,” Noe told The Clemson Insider. He’s been sending Boulware clips of his linebacker work to make up for the thin film. “I primarily played running back last year, but this year I will be filling in the middle linebacker role. So, I am just giving coach Boulware a head start on what I have been working on. But yeah, it has been steady conversation. Just building that relationship.”
You can understand why Clemson wants him on defense, but you can also understand why he’s not ready to give up the ball entirely. As a sophomore he ran for more than 1,800 yards, went for 8.5 a carry, and found the end zone 21 times. Numbers like that don’t just disappear because a coach wants you at linebacker.
Still, Noe sounds like a kid who’s found his position. “Honestly, I love the linebacker position. I feel like that is where I am meant to play. Definitely a different mindset over there. But I have been loving it.” He plans to play both this fall — all in on defense, and as much running back as his body can handle.
The offer list is already stacked. Michigan, Louisville, Notre Dame and Wisconsin are among the dozen-plus schools that have pulled the trigger, and the ones circling without an offer yet are heavy hitters in their own right: Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Ohio State, Nebraska.
Clemson, as usual, is taking the long road. And Noe already knows it — Boulware has told him as much.
“Obviously, you know Clemson’s process is really slow and detailed,” Noe said. “That has kind of been his main message and that I am a priority guy for them. But he said they take their time.” Part of that is wanting real linebacker film before they commit, which is fair given he’s brand new to the spot. “But more than anything, it has been about the process and how slow they take things when it comes to really getting to know the kid. Having all the coaches meet the kid so they know that is definitely a player they want to be coaching.”
The interest runs both ways. Noe already has the campus visit box checked off — he camped at Clemson back in eighth grade — but he’s planning to get back down for a game this fall anyway. That tells you how much the offer means to him.
“It would mean the world, honestly,” he said. “Clemson has always been a dream school of mine. I love what coach Dabo is doing down there. Love the area down there. South Carolina is beautiful. Again, that is a dream school of mine and to get an offer would mean the world, especially knowing the limited number of offers they throw out. That would be a big-time thing and I am super-excited for that day to come.”
The rankings back up the hype. Rivals has Noe at No. 68 overall regardless of position, and second among all athletes in the country. And that’s before anyone’s seen him play a down at linebacker. Once the junior tape starts rolling in, expect the phone to ring even more.
There’s no rush on a decision, which works in Clemson’s favor. Noe wants to take more visits this fall, more in the spring, and lock in a handful of officials next summer. Plenty of runway for the Tigers to make their move.
What he’s after is old-school, too. He wants to play for the name on the front of the jersey more than the one on the back. The money isn’t going to drive the decision — his take is that if he keeps doing his job, that stuff sorts itself out.
“You work for what you get,” Noe said. “I am just going to do my best, and wherever I end up rankings-wise, the money will take care of itself. For decision-making, that is going to be the least of my concerns. I am a true believer in you play football because you love the game. Because you love the sport. You love the school that you are going to play for. So, not a deal-breaker at all, but it will be a blessing, whatever I do get.”
For a program that values fit and patience as much as Clemson does, that’s the kind of thing that plays awfully well in the Valley.
