One of the nation’s top center prospects took in his first official visit at Clemson this past weekend.
The Clemson Insider caught up with Kennesaw Mountain (Acworth, Ga.) three-star interior offensive lineman Connor Lew, following his official visit to Tiger Town from June 3-5. In an exclusive interview with TCI, Lew detailed everything from his experience back on campus to where Clemson currently stands in his recruitment.
“The visit was good,” Lew said in a phone interview Monday. “I had a really good time. I didn’t really know what to think. I knew it was gonna be a big event with a lot of recruits there, but I ended up really enjoying it and so did my family.”
What stood out to Lew during his first official visit?
“It was impressive to see how Clemson focused on character development and preparing their student athletes for life,” he said. “It starts up with Coach Swinney and he did a good job of explaining to us and describing the process and how there’s tools and resources for everyone to grow as a person and develop their character while they’re at Clemson.”
This was Lew’s first time back on campus since Clemson pulled the trigger on a scholarship offer on May 20. Lew participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp last summer and he went up for Clemson’s 19-13 win over Boston College back on Oct. 2, 2021, but this was his first time back in Tiger Town since.
“It was big,” he said regarding receiving an offer from the Tigers. “Clemson was on me relatively earlier in building a relationship with me. Their process is drawn out and very deliberate. Knowing that I got a Clemson offer finally, it means a lot, because I know how much a Clemson offer means to everyone.”
What did Lew hear from Clesmon’s coaching staff when he was back on campus?
“They were excited because this was my first time back since the offer,” Lew said. “They were kind of on the fence about offering me for a while and they finally pulled the trigger. They were happy to see me again.”
Lew was happy to see Thomas Austin, as well as Robbie Caldwell when he was back on campus. The more familiar faces, the better, though, up until this past visit, Caldwell was the offensive line coach for Clemson when Lew had been on campus in the past.
Since Caldwell retired from his on-field role, Lew has continued to build a strong relationship with Austin.
“It’s been good,” he said regarding his relationship with Clemson’s offensive line coach. “I started my relationship with Coach Caldwell and, obviously, he stepped down from the coaching aspect and went more to the office, but just being able to pick up where we left off with Coach Austin, he makes it really easy. I really like him as a coach.”
The Peach State offensive lineman still has a really good relationship with Caldwell, who congratulated him on his offer, which was certainly special to him. He still has a lot of relationships there, even though Caldwell is now Director of High School Relations and Sophomore Transition.
That’s not the only relationship Lew was able to strengthen this weekend. While he was hosted by Clemson redshirt sophomore offensive lineman, Trent Howard, he bonded with some of the current players and recruits alike.
“He was great,” Lew said, “and it wasn’t just him. All the o-line recruits grouped up together, so him, Walker Parks, all those guys, we had the opportunity to talk to them and kind of just asked any questions we wanted and they were really open with us. We were able to learn from them, just kind of what it’s like to be a player at Clemson and their experience.”
The best way that Lew could describe this past weekend, among 31 official visitors, is that it was like a family gathering.
“I really liked Clemson going into this,” he said. “Everytime that I go up there, Clemson kind of sells itself, if you will. I can’t really compare it because that was my first official visit, but they definitely set the bar high.”
Lew indicated that Clemson helped themselves with him this past weekend.
“There were a lot of questions that I still needed to get answered,” Lew continued, “and I walked away with no questions.”
After Clemson, Lew will take three official visits in three weekends. He’ll be at the University of Miami, followed by Auburn and then the University of Georgia, all in that order.
All four of those schools round out Lew’s final four.
With Lew hoping to have a decision made before the start of his senior season, what are some of the more important factors he’s looking for in a school at the next level?
“I would say the four biggest for me are the relationships, the education at the school, the development from the coaches and the overall fit or the vibe that I feel at the school,” Lew said.
I had a great official visit at @ClemsonFB Thank you for the hospitality! 🟠🟣🐅 @Coach__TA @Clements_TJC pic.twitter.com/sPeDJ1bg5s
— Connor Lew (@ConnorLew1) June 6, 2022
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