Yulee (Fla.) three-star safety Landon Hale made his way to Clemson’s campus for an unofficial visit this past week.
Hale had originally planned to visit from April 8-9, which would’ve allowed for him to attend Clemson’s Orange & White Spring Game on Saturday, but he made it to regionals for weight lifting and couldn’t skip it.
He phoned Clemson defensive coordinator Wesley Goodwin and told him his predicament, so Hale wound up visiting on Wednesday, April 6 instead.
“We absolutely loved it,” Hale told The Clemson Insider regarding his first-ever Clemson visit. “It was incredible. They treated us like family the entire day. They made me and my family feel like a priority, which I was very appreciative of. We got to see the entire campus. They took us to the business administration building, which is something that I plan on majoring in. So, it was good to see that and the new facilities there…overall, it was just a very good day.
Hale was in attendance for Clemson’s final practice prior to Saturday’s spring game and got a chance to sit in on some team and position meetings.
“The meetings were run very organized, I thought,” he said, “and Coach (Dabo) Swinney was very deliberate and so was Coach (Wesley) Goodwin and Coach (Mickey) Conn. They were very deliberate in the meetings. In the position meetings, we watched film the whole time from the previous practices and they were just giving all the guys advice on what they could’ve done better or what needed to be improved upon. I really enjoyed sitting in on the meetings and at practice as well.
“I thought it was very organized. They didn’t practice very much that day because they were preparing for the spring game, but it was good to at least see what a typical practice looks like for Clemson.”
What did Hale hear from Clemson’s coaching staff while he was on campus?
“Whenever we were on the tour of the facilities, they came and met up with us and got to speak with me and my family for probably a good 30 minutes,” Hale said, “and we just talked about ball and caught up and thanked them for the opportunity to come up.”
According to Hale, the Tigers want him to camp at Clemson this summer for the three-day camp, which is from June 10-12. That will be one of the three camps that he plans on hitting this summer and he’ll ensure that it’ll be a priority. Also, Hale plans on making a game day visit, which would likely come on Saturday, Nov. 12 against Lousivillle at Memorial Stadium.
“We’re gonna be on campus a lot in the coming weeks,” he said. “We plan on at least visiting Clemson at least two or three more times before I make a decision on where I’m going.”
Did he hear anything from Clemson about a potential offer?
“Coach Conn said that he had watched my film and he liked it,” Hale added, “but like I said, I think they want a little more in-person evaluation before we kind of get to that point in my recruiting process. But, like they were telling me, ‘If you’re on campus right now, you’re a priority to us.’ It’s not just like they’re bringing just any guys up. It’s guys that they’ve identified that are gonna be potential leaders and basically uphold the values of the program. That’s something to me that I’m honored that they’re even considering me.”
Even without an offer, Clemson is a top choice in Hale’s recruitment. That all really boils down to the P.A.W. Journey, which he says was really his favorite part of the entire day.
“It would be a blessing,” he said regarding a potential offer from Clemson, “a huge blessing and a life-changing opportunity…if I am blessed and fortunate enough to receive an offer, it’s a huge honor and something that I’m not gonna take lightly at all. Like I said, I think they just want to see a live evaluation.”
Hale feels like his film is pretty solid but it was only his first year playing defensive back, so you can definitely tell that there’s some inexperience. Nonetheless, he’s been able to work out all the little kinks and technical issues this offseason.
This spring is setting up to be huge for his recruitment.
For Hale, it’s awesome that he’s being recruited by both of Clemson’s defensive coordinators. Needless to say, he was impressed with what he heard from both Goodwin and Conn and what they have to offer as coaches.
“Coach Goodwin, I love him,” Hale said. “He’s the coach that was the first one to reach out to me from Clemson and we’re continuing to build our relationship. Obviously, as the defensive coordinator, he has a lot of say in who is on campus and who is not. I’m very appreciative that he gave me the opportunity to come up.
“I loved Coach Conn. I thought he was very well-spoken and he was easy to talk to. He’s a coach that’s definitely been around the game for a very long time. You look at what he’s previously done. If I ever get the chance to be coached by him, it would be an incredible opportunity.”
Hale felt like he was a priority the minute he stepped on campus. The visit was the most organized one he’s been on and Clemson sent him an itinerary from sunup to sundown, so he knew what to expect when he was on campus.
“If I could go back and change everything I wouldn’t because it was just a very successful day and I got to see everything that I wanted to see,” he said. “I got to meet all the people that I wanted to meet, including Coach Swinney. I spoke with him twice while I was on campus and the conversations I had with him were just amazing. I definitely look up to him. He’s an inspiration.”
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