The Clemson Insider caught up with this talented Class of 2023 defensive lineman, who the Tigers have been keeping an eye on for some time now.
Clemson offered Osceola (Kissimmee, Fla.) four-star Derrick LeBlanc back on Sept. 15. It was an offer he was waiting for, but not one he was expecting.
“Oh, I was so happy,” he said of receiving an offer from the Tigers. “They offered me with my mom and my dad right next to me.”
“I was like wow, I really just got offered by Clemson,” he added.
For LeBlanc, he was just expecting a check-in from Brent Venables, but to his surprise, it was a call letting him know that he would be offered. They usually talk once a week and the offer just came out of nowhere.
“Whenever I had camped, it was June 2 that I had camped up there, they told me that they were gonna get in touch with me,” he said. “They told me to just be patient, it’s all about being patient with the process…I’ve been talking so long trying to get to know (Venables and Todd Bates) and with Sept. 1 coming, it really helped elevate the relationship and everything. We’ve gotten closer and closer and everything.”
LeBlanc has been able to build a close bond with Clemson’s defensive coordinator and defensive tackles coach/recruiting coordinator.
“It’s been really good because getting to know them and who they are is big,” LeBlanc said. “They are trying to help you be a better man, which I like the most because football is not going to always be there for you. Bettering those relationships is really big for me.”
LeBlanc was at the Dabo Swinney Camp this past summer. He was in attendance alongside some of his close, personal friends, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 2023 four-star DL Malik Bryant and Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) 2023 four-star OL Payton Kirkland.
“I liked it a lot,” he said of Clemson’s camp. “I just liked their attention to detail and everything and the way they can develop you as a player. I like that a lot.”
LeBlanc was left “wowed” by how Clemson can develop its student-athletes on and off the field, he said. Not only as a player but as a man as well.
That really stood out to him and it’s why he’s heavily considering Clemson. With that being said, where do the Tigers currently stand in LeBlanc’s recruitment?
“They are up there,” he said. “They’re all the way up there. They’re high up.”
LeBlanc will be in Death Valley on Saturday, Oct. 30, when Clemson hosts Florida State, he told TCI. He’ll make his way back to Tiger Town for the first time since the summer and this time with an offer in hand.
When it comes to a school at the next level, there’s a lot of things that LeBlanc is considering, but there’s one thing, in particular, he’s keying in on.
“It’s a lot of things for me, like the environment, of course, the education,” he said. “It’s really for me about the strength coaches and everything because you’re going to spend more time with your position and strength coaches more than anything, so building a relationship with them and being cool with them is important to me. When I went up (to Clemson), I talked to the strength coach (Joey Batson) for almost two hours.”
It’s those little things that go a long way for LeBlanc.
According to LeBlanc, Bates and Venables aren’t sure where he’s going to play at the next level just yet because they don’t know how big he’s going to get. LeBlanc says that they think he can be a 3-Tech or something like that.
“They want versatile defensive linemen, who can play anywhere and that’s athletic and can run,” he added. “If you play defense, then you got to run, so that’s what I like.”
LeBlanc actually trains with Clemson defensive lineman Tyler Davis. Whenever he comes back home, they’ll train together. At first, LeBlanc wanted to get to know who Bates is as a person. Who better to find out than someone who plays for him?
“He told me that (Coach Bates) is one of the coolest people you’ll ever meet and a great coach,” LeBlanc said. “He’s like your second dad.”
LeBlanc ranks as the No. 5 defensive lineman and No. 21 overall prospect regardless of position, according to 247Sports.
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