Ian Reed returned to Tiger Town earlier this month to take in Clemson’s 30-20 win over NC State on Saturday, Oct. 1.
The four-star Clemson offensive line commit in the 2023 class certainly didn’t leave campus disappointed after experiencing a night game at Death Valley during what was a top-10 matchup between the Tigers and Wolfpack.
“Tiger Town is a special place,” Reed told The Clemson Insider. “I’ve never been to an actual night game at Clemson before, so this was my first game going, and it exceeded all my expectations just from a fan and atmosphere standpoint.”
Reed, a senior offensive tackle from Vandegrift High School in Austin, Texas, committed to the Tigers on June 7 of this year.
Being back on campus for the NC State game simply reinforced to Reed why he chose Clemson over numerous other scholarship offers.
“It just feels like home to me,” he said. “I felt like I made a great choice of coming here, and I can see why it’s such a special place. You’ve got people lining up like six miles outside the stadium for tailgates, and it’s this crazy, awesome atmosphere. The tradition, as well, and just how loud the crowd is and how supportive the Clemson fans are – I mean, we’ve got the best fans in the country, honestly. Out of all the places I visited before I committed to Clemson, definitely a huge difference.”
During the NC State game visit, Reed was able to catch up with basically the entire offensive coaching staff, as well as some defensive staffers.
What was the message to Reed from coaches like head man Dabo Swinney and offensive line coach Thomas Austin?
“Just enjoy your senior year, basically,” Reed said. “Enjoy your time basically and just enjoy those little moments with your teammates and your family since I’m coming in early, and focus on your goals for whatever your team wants to accomplish. We just had normal conversations. Nothing football related – it’s like life and all that.”
The visit also afforded Reed the opportunity to spend more time with fellow commits in Clemson’s 2023 class as they continue to build a strong bond while preparing to come in together.
“It’s a very tight-knit group,” Reed said. “We’ve definitely gotten to see each other at a couple games and all that. I got to see most of the guys at the NC State game, and they’re all doing great. We’re all excited to be teammates and brothers with one other, and I can’t wait to come in January and start working and grinding and working with this class.”
Reed is ready to make things official when he signs with Clemson in December before enrolling early in January.
“It’s gonna be an awesome three to four years,” he said. “I can’t wait, and I can’t wait to get to work and get to learn the offense and just put my head down and hopefully earn a spot.”
There’s a lot that excites Reed about going to Clemson, joining Swinney’s program and being coached on the offensive line by a former NFL O-lineman in Austin.
“Just the tradition in the program of winning, the family aspect too and life after football, and the alumni are just amazing,” he said. “Amazing people, and they’re always positive and always great to meet.”
“I love Coach Swinney, too,” Reed continued. “I would run through a wall for him. He is definitely a man of character and a man of discipline and a man of honor. So is Coach Austin, and I’m really excited about Coach Austin because he’s kind of new to the scene, but he has all that NFL knowledge and all the experience that he had at Clemson and in the NFL, so he knows how it’s going to go. So, I’m excited for all that, too.”
Reed is ranked as a top-150 national prospect by Rivals, which considers him the nation’s No. 14 offensive tackle and No. 147 overall prospect in the 2023 class.
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