There is plenty of mutual interest between Clemson and this promising defensive back prospect in the 2024 class that the Tigers recently played host to.
The Loomis Chaffee School (Windsor, Conn.)’s Jaiden Spearman made his first-ever visit to Clemson in mid-March with his father and came away impressed after spending a lot of time around the Tigers’ staff, including head coach Dabo Swinney and co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Mickey Conn.
“It was good,” Spearman said in a recent interview with The Clemson Insider, reflecting on the visit. “I met with all the coaches. I really liked the P.A.W. Journey (personal growth, life skills, and professional development program). I got a lot of information from Coach Dabo on the things that he looks for in players. We sat down for a while, and then the safeties coach, Mickey, we exchanged numbers and have been exchanging videos and stuff. But he just kept it real.
“So, I spent most of my time really talking to Mickey. We went to the team’s meeting. I went to watch their practice, and then we sat down in all of the safeties’ meetings, so I went with the safeties for like two of their meetings. We watched film … and really just spent a lot of time with the staff. Everybody was really, really, really, really good — everybody. So, it was a great time.”
Spearman had been in touch with Conn prior to the visit, and he feels they hit it off particularly well after getting to meet each other in person.
“I think we got along really well,” Spearman said. “We talked about our families. There were some similarities between things in our families. So, just getting to know him… We had talked online, but I think it’s different when you talk to somebody in person. So, looking forward to going out there – I’m going to do a camp this summer and spend some more time with him. But we’ve definitely been communicating a lot.”
Swinney discussed Clemson’s offer policy with Spearman, explaining that the Tigers typically don’t offer class of 2024 recruits this early in the process, but Swinney and Conn each expressed their high level of interest in him – interest that is certainly reciprocated by Spearman in Clemson.
“We talked to Dabo, and he explained his thoughts on ‘24s and offering ‘24s,” he said. “I like the amount of time and attention that they put into their evaluations. They both told me that they like my size, my length, my aggressiveness. Mickey, he likes safeties that aren’t afraid to get in the box, that hit, and he said I fit that profile. So, they said they were very interested in me. I told them I’m interested in them. They said that they’re slower than some of the other schools (in extending offers), and they asked me to keep the relationship going. So, I look forward to coming back.”
Spearman, who is already approaching double-digit offers as a sophomore, looks forward to showcasing his skills for Clemson’s staff when he competes at the Swinney Camp this summer.
“I’m a smart safety,” he said, describing himself as a player. “I know corner, safety, nickel. I know everything on the defensive side. So, I would say I look forward to showing them my aggressiveness. They saw my size and my length. I’m 6-2, 6-2.5, about 185 pounds right now. I think my length helps, I think speed. I just want to show them everything – that I can cover, that I can play in the box, that I can run sideline to sideline. So, I’m looking forward to showing my explosiveness.”
Spearman’s offer list currently includes Michigan, Ole Miss, Baylor, Arizona, Arizona State, Purdue, Florida Atlantic and UConn.
While Spearman attends a prep school in Connecticut, he is from Charlotte, and the fact that Clemson is not far from there only adds to the appeal of a potential offer from the Tigers in the future.
“It would mean a lot,” he said. “They do a lot of research, and that makes me feel good. I like the school, I like the coaching staff. They seem like they care about their players. It would mean a lot, and then being from the area, it’s always good when you get love from teams around your area.”
Spearman has also recently visited North Carolina, South Carolina, Marshall and UConn, while he is planning to check out schools such as Syracuse, Penn State and Rutgers moving forward.
Spearman’s brother Ike played linebacker at Eastern Michigan from 2012-17, while his brother Derek is a freshman defensive back at UConn.
–Photos for this article courtesy of @JaidenSpearman on Twitter
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