The Clemson Insider spoke with the newest recipient of a Clemson offer — Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Ga.) four-star Jelani Thurman — on Sunday afternoon.
Thurman was not expecting an offer, he was just getting back on campus and was hoping to have a good time at Clemson’s Orange & White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
“Obviously I was all smiles,” Thruman said. “I was shocked. I actually was in a meeting with Coach Swinney after the game, before he met with the media. He said, ‘I’ve only given out 78 offers and you’ll be 79.’ So that’s how he told me they were offering me.
What does earning an offer from Clemson mean to Thurman?
“It shows me that I’m special and something’s paying off,” he said.
According to Thurman, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney told him about the scheme the Tigers run, how they utilize the tight end position in their offense and his history of coaching the tight end position over the years.
Prior to Saturday’s visit, Thurman said that he’s been talking with tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Kyle Richardson for a minute now. It was just about figuring out the right date and right time for Thurman to come visit.
That happened to be Saturday and in any event, making the return trip to Tiger Town paid off for Thurman.
“Everything was great, I liked the environment,” Thurman said. “Obviously, during the game, I got to see how the fans interacted with the players, and how the players carried themselves during the game. I liked it.
Thurman also got to see some glimpses of how Clemson utilized the tight end position. Sophomore tight end Jake Briningst caught a team-high seven passes for 58 yards, with two of his receptions covering 22 and 25 yards.
As for Thurman and his game, he describes himself as a unique, dual-threat player, which he said is what Clemson likes about his game. According to Thurman, Clemson likes that he’s not only a guy who can block and be aggressive but one who can go across and over the top of opposing defensive backs.
At the moment, Thurman pinpointed that schools like the University of Alabama, Michigan State and Auburn are among a handful of programs that are currently recruiting him the hardest.
Thurman is planning on dropping a top-10 school’s list sometime in the near future and indicated that Clemson definitely has a good chance of making it, now that he has an offer in tow.
With that said, where do the Tigers currently stand in Thurman’s recruitment?
“They’re high,” he said. “Obviously I’d like to build a relationship with them. It doesn’t stop after you get the offer. You still have to keep in contact.”
Thurman informed us that he does plan on coming back to Clemson this summer.
Blessed to receive an offer from Clemson University @Clemson247 @ClemsonFB @williamsdo @RecruitLangston @_LingoBingo @CoachDre_QB pic.twitter.com/kZRdPB9KD1
— jelani (@jelani3345) April 10, 2022
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