A promising Pennsylvania wide receiver with a bunch of major scholarship offers made his way back to Clemson during the Dabo Swinney Camp last month.
After competing at the camp last summer, St. Joseph’s Prep School (Philadelphia, Pa.) four-star wideout David Washington Jr. returned to campus during the Swinney Camp in early June. Although he didn’t work out this year due to a minor injury, he still had a great time visiting what he called his “favorite school.”
“It was nice. I really like that school,” Washington said of Clemson in an interview with The Clemson Insider. “I really enjoyed it. Definitely when I get the offer, definitely going to be in top five, definitely.”
Washington – a 6-foot, 185-pound rising junior in the 2024 class – couldn’t pinpoint just one aspect of Clemson that appeals to him the most.
“It’s really everything. I just like everything,” he said. “It’s just an amazing campus that they have. Everything that you need is on campus. That’s perfect for me. The coaches are amazing. It’s everything that fits me well, if I was to go there. I just really like that school. It’s nice.”
Last month’s camp visit gave Washington the chance to catch up with Tyler Grisham, and Clemson’s wide receivers coach expressed interest in Washington while likening him to a former Tiger wideout now playing in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers.
“He said I’m high on their board. He said he really likes me well,” Washington said of Grisham. “He compared me to Amari Rodgers, who’s on the Packers now. So, him saying that just motivated me more. I’ve just got to go out first game, ball out and hopefully I’ll get the offer then.”
Washington sees similarities between himself as a receiver and Rodgers, who finished his career at Clemson ranked No. 6 in school history in receptions (181) and No. 12 in receiving yards (2,144) before being drafted by the Packers in the third round (No. 85 overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft.
“I do see it a lot,” Washington said of the comparison to Rodgers. “He played everywhere – he played slot, outside – I can do all that. Pretty much the same player that he said. I like that comparison a lot, though.”
Washington has hauled in offers from Pittsburgh, Louisville, Boston College, Tennessee, Kentucky, Penn State, Maryland and West Virginia since receiving his first offer from Temple in April 2021.
If he were to add an offer from Clemson, he believes it’s a place that could put him in a prime position to accomplish his ultimate goal of playing in the NFL down the road.
“Every college develops great players, but I feel like Clemson is one of those top schools that develops really great athletes,” he said. “You go there with high potential to make it to the league. Most NFL teams, they go to the top teams like Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia. They go to those top teams. … Any school, you can make it to the league, but I feel like with those schools, you have a better advantage I would say.”
Washington hopes to get back to Clemson for a game at Death Valley this season.
“I’m definitely trying to come to a game,” he said. “I’ve got to set that up with Coach Grisham. Definitely trying to come to a game.”
–Photos for this article courtesy of David Washington Jr.
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