On Monday, The Clemson Insider caught up with a priority target for Clemson in the class of 2023.
Clemson solidified itself as a top school for Lake Mary (Fla.) four-star cornerback Braeden Marshall after he received an offer from cornerbacks coach Mike Reed, while he made his first-ever visit to campus.
In an exclusive interview with TCI, Marshall gave the latest on his recruitment, revealed what he’s been hearing from Clemson and Reed as of late and if he plans on making a return visit to campus anytime soon.
“They really just been texting me, seeing how I’m doing and wanting to get me back up there as soon as possible,” Marshall said. “We’re actually gonna go over the scheme in a couple of days and see where I’d be at in their scheme.”
How has Marshall’s relationship grown with Reed since Clemson pulled the trigger on an offer?
“It’s grown a lot,” he said. “Just seeing him, the way he talks is really the way he is in person. We’ve really just grown as our relationship has grown with not just him, but my family as well.”
We asked Marshall about the comments that Clemson’s cornerbacks coach made when he was made available to reporters over two weeks ago. Reed detailed who and what his typical corner looks like at Clemson.
Reed’s recruiting philosophy resonates with Marshall.
“He actually reminds me of myself,” Marshall said of Reed. “He cares about the size, but he knows that if you’re a 5-foot-10 corner and you can play and he knows you can play, you can tackle, you can cover and do all that, then he’s gonna recruit you. That’s what he’s told me and that’s why he likes my game.”
Reed also quipped that he doesn’t want to coach a bunch of Mike Reeds, though. That made Marshall laugh.
“He says that all the time,” Marshall said jokingly.
It’s not just Reed who checks in on Marshall. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Wesley Goodwin have also been known to check in on Marshall and reiterate how much of a priority he is in the 2023 class from time to time.
“It means a lot,” Marshall said, “just knowing that it’s not just one coach, it’s a lot of them. That means a lot to me and that means a lot to my family.”
While Marshall is trying to get back to Clemson sometime this spring, he imagines that it might be more feasible to do it this summer. His visit to Clemson on Saturday, March 5, was actually the only visit he’s been on this spring.
“Clemson really set the bar, to be honest with you,” he said. “It checked everything off the checklist. That really set the bar.”
He’s planning on visiting Nebraska, North Carolina and Arkansas all within the span of the next three weeks.
When he takes these visits, what exactly is he looking for?
“I’m really looking to see a school that really wants me and a school that pushes their players academically because football isn’t for the rest of your life,” Marshall said,” so getting that degree is huge. And a school that really pushes for graduation and a school where I really could see myself at the school and playing for a system that will help me shine and help me grow as a player and as a man.”
Marshall is planning on dropping a top schools list on his birthday, May 10.
His plan right now is to have a decision made before the start of his senior season, but nothing is set in stone just yet. One thing that is set in stone, though, is that Clemson will be in Marshall’s top-10 schools. You can go ahead and write that in Sharpie.
“They will be, there’s no doubt,” he said. “They treat their players like how you want them to treat you. They really push you to graduate and it’s family there. Right, when I stepped foot on campus, it was like a family environment and that really got me.”
— Photo for this article courtesy of Braeden Marshall
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