Among the standout defensive linemen who had the chance to showcase their talent on the fourth day of the Dabo Swinney Camp on Saturday, June 11, was Malik Blocton — a 6-foot-3, 255-pound three-star rising junior from Alabama’s Pike Road High School.
“It was amazing,” Blocton told The Clemson Insider regarding his Swinney Camp experience. “The camp was amazing. I had a lot of fun. I feel like I learned a lot. (Coach Eason) let me know that he liked what I was doing.”
Clemson defensive tackles coach Nick Eason had brought in Blocton via a golf cart and paid special attention to both him and Meadowcreek (Norcross, Ga.) 2024 four-star defensive lineman, Champ Thompson, who left camp with an offer in hand.
“Me and Coach Eason already had a relationship because Coach Eason is one who offered me to Auburn,” Blocton said. “I’ve known him and he was just trying to get me up on campus and when he did, he showed a lot of love. He’s an amazing coach. I’ve been to most colleges over the summer and he’s by far the best d-line coach I’ve been with this summer.”
With Eason offering Blocton while he was still on the coaching staff at Auburn, what did he tell the Yellowhammer State prospect about a potential offer at Clemson?
According to Blocton, Eason told him that wanted to offer him, but at the same time, he had to wait.
“I have to come back sometime in the future,” he said. “(Coach Eason) said he’s gonna get me back up there. He told me that if he could, that he wanted to offer me right then, but he had to talk to Coach Swinney, clear it with him and some more stuff. He said he has to get me on campus some more, but he told me that he really liked me a lot.”
This was Blocton’s first-ever visit to Clemson, as he made sure to cross Tiger Town off his list this summer. He was accompanied by both his mom and his sister, who also thoroughly enjoyed their time at Clemson.
“It was amazing,” he said. “I had always wanted to go visit Clemson because of my relationship with Coach Eason and it seemed like a good place to be, but when I got up there, it blew me away.
From everything that he saw from the program’s National Championship trophies to the life-sized stuffed tiger that’s front and center at the entrance of the football facility, Blocton said that Clemson looked like a “fun place to be.”
In addition to Clemson, Blocton also had a chance to camp at some of the other top programs like Alabama and Georgia.
“It’s very fun because I get to learn from these coaches that know more than me,” Blocton said. “And, I get to bring some of the stuff back to my high school and implement it into my game to make me a better player.”
Blocton describes himself as a three-down defensive lineman, who can stop the run and rush the passer very efficiently. He can also play just about any technique across the line and be efficient at every position.
College teams around the country are looking at him as a player, who can be a versatile chess piece across the line.
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