It’s no longer a secret that Clemson is one of the favorite schools of Jadon Perlotte.
The five-star linebacker out of Buford (Ga.) has been adamant about that fact, even though he didn’t make his way back to campus over the summer.
Perlotte — a 6-foot-4, 200-pound sophomore in the class of 2025 — recently made his first-ever gameday visit to Death Valley for Clemson’s top-10 showdown against NC State on Saturday, Oct. 1.
“It was great,” Perlotte recently told The Clemson Insider regarding his visit. “That’s the most fans I’ve ever seen and we got to run down the hill. I didn’t see any open spots.”
With Clemson being one of Perlotte’s dream schools, what is it about Dabo Swinney’s program that appeals to a prospect like Perlotte?
“The culture,” he said. “I sit in there and listen for hours, listening to Coach Dabo preach about the system and how they do things differently. They’re a family team and that’s all they care about is the person beside them. That’s what I pay attention to.”
Perlotte said that he has a great relationship with most of Clemson’s staff and spent a lot of time around the Tigers’ defensive assistants before and after last Saturday’s game.
“I’m close with the whole staff there,” he said.
Being a linebacker himself, keyed in on players like Trenton Simpson, Barett Carter and Jeremiah Trotter, Jr.
“They’re very versatile and that’s how I base my game off of,” Perlotte said of Clemson’s linebackers. “All their linebackers can play either spot, safety, they can lock down or they can play in the box. That’s kind of what I was paying attention to was their versatility.”
He’ll have the chance to do that a couple more times, as it seems likely that Perlotte will make his way back to Tiger Town for multiple games this season.
“I’m gonna get back to a couple of games at Clemson,” he said. “I’ll be down there for sure. I’m gonna have to ask my mom, she’s been planning all of this. She really loves Clemson, so I got to make probably about three more games down there.”
Right now, Perlotte is patiently waiting for an offer from the Tigers, one that he’s hopeful will come sooner than later.
“I mean, it’s gonna be a lot,” Perlotte said regarding a potential scholarship offer. “We’ve talked multiple times about it. We’ve been talking about it and they said, ‘When we get the chance it’s gonna happen. Just wait until the time and it’ll be a special moment.'”
“It don’t bother me that much,” he continued. “I know it’s coming, I just gotta stay on it.”
Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.
Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!
