Five-star 2026 recruit Trinity Jones commits to Clemson

Elite 2026 recruit Trinity Jones has committed to Clemson, she announced. The 6-1 guard from Bolingbrook (IL) chose the Tigers over programs including LSU, Tennessee and UCLA. 

“It was the fit,” Jones told Rivals. “I love Coach [Shawn] Poppie. The coaching staff is amazing. They really care. You can tell they really care about me.”

Her relationships with the coaching staff were key.

“Honestly all of them,” she told Rivals. “Chris [Ayers], Coach Poppie himself. I built a relationship with every last one of them…I felt myself with all of them. I had one-on-one time with all of them and got to learn different things about them and they learned different things about me. You can just tell it’s bigger than basketball with them.”

Clemson’s play style was also a factor.

“Their play style fits me,” she said. “I can play well with plays but also play freely there too. It’s very versatile.”

Jones is joining a loaded recruiting class that includes Kimora Fields, Julia Scott and Meeyah Green — and she’s excited.

“I’m so stoked,” she said. “I’ve heard a lot about these players. I got to meet Meeyah on her official visit and my official visit and I got to build that relationship with her ahead of time. I love her already. They’re all dogs and I love that, because that’s the type of player I am as well.”

There were several factors that went into her decision.

“The playing style is very important,” Jones previously told Rivals. “I would say, the safety, the academics, and then I would just say making sure it feels like a second home. I don’t want to go to college and be like, well, if things don’t go well my first year, I’m just going to go to the portal, right? I don’t want to go to the portal. Personally, I want to play at my school for four years. I want to make sure that they have all my needs that I want. Development is a huge one, because I want to play in the WNBA. In order to do that, I need to develop. I need to attack the things that I struggle on.”

Clemson is getting a versatile guard in Jones who’s expected to contribute immediately after she gets to campus next summer. 

“I play with a lot of pace,” Jones told Rivals. “I play with a lot of emotion, with passion, a lot of energy. I’m a very energetic player. Defense gets me going. I think that’s really important for me. I think that’s what helps a lot of teams, is defense.”