Prospects from far and near attended Clemson’s All In Cookout this past Sunday.
Recruits were allowed to make in-person contact with teams and find their way back on campus with the quiet period in effect. Prospects like Greenville (S.C.) Christ Church Episcopal School 2022 OT Mason Johnstone were back on Clemson’s campus.
The local product talked to The Clemson Insider regarding his time at the cookout and the messages he’s been receiving from the Tigers’ coaching staff.
“The Cookout was awesome,” Johnstone said. “Super fun to be around all the commits and be around the family. The thing I enjoyed the most was creating the bond with all the recruits, they’re all just great guys and being able to be around them felt like I was around my teammates.”
For Johnstone, pretty much everything about last Sunday’s experience was a huge highlight. Getting closer with all the Class of 2022 recruits was his favorite, but it was also great for him to see all the coaches again.
“It was also kinda crazy to play dodgeball and talk with Tajh Boyd. who was my favorite player growing up,” he added.
At Clemson, Best is the Standard. There are not many colleges across the nation where you can come to campus and get to play dodgeball against a former legend.
That’s what’s special about Clemson, but there’s also something special about this recruiting class.
“I feel like this class has everything you can ever want,” Johnstone said. “First and foremost, all the guys are really great and we’re a pretty tight-knit group already. This class is going to bring championships. Everyone’s unselfish, has low egos, and we have leaders. No matter if you’re a PWO or a five-star, everyone’s treated the same by their peers, which is really cool to see.”
Johnstone officially committed to Clemson back on June 13 following the program’s Elite Retreat. He had been silently committed prior to the event but elected to announce after he immersed himself back on campus this summer.
“They’re really happy to have me,” Johnstone said. “They see me as a very high-ceiling player and really believe that down the road, I’ll contribute. Starting off, my job will be to learn as much as I can, improve my body to where I can compete and then and improve each year.
“They told me that I’ll have a very good chance to compete for a bigger role if I do the things they say and work hard.”
The three-star offensive lineman had offers to play elsewhere, but couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play for his hometown team.
“There’s no other place that I’d rather be, scholarship or not,” Johnstone added.
This coming season, Johnstone is looking to compete for a state title. Not many people were expecting Christ Church to turn as many heads as it did last year and even this year there still remains some doubt, according to Johnstone. But, he and his teammates know what their team is capable
As far as personal goals are concerned, Johnstone wants to keep learning and improving his skills at offensive tackle, so he can dominate on both sides of the ball, he said
“As a player, I’m very detail-oriented and very eager to learn and perfect my craft,” Johnstone added, “Fans can expect that I’ll always find a way to make the team better, whether it’s scout team or starting offense, I’ll always find a way to make us a better football team than the day before.
“My footwork is my biggest strength by far. “Having been a basketball player my whole life, the movements are natural to mean and I just need to work on polishing them and putting everything together.”
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