The Clemson Insider recently caught up with a legacy recruit, who made his way to campus in March and had a chance to check out a spring practice at Clemson.
Ensworth (Nashville, TN.) four-star linebacker Mason Curtis remembers turning to his mom and telling her that they practice like pros at Clemson. That’s definitely something that’s intriguing to the rising junior, who wants to further build his relationship with the program, as well as Lemanski Hall, who has a longstanding connection to his high school.
“I felt like (the visit) went good,” Curtis said. “I got to talk to Coach Ski and some of the players that played with my dad when he played. I got to meet with a lot of new coaches that I never met before. I was able to talk briefly with the linebackers coach (Wesley Goodwin).”
Curtis’ late father, Rodney Curtis, played defensive end at Clemson in the mid-1980s.
So it’s unsurprising that he has been to Clemson before. He visited back in 2018 when his older brother — Devyn Curtis — was a prospective recruit. Devyn is now a redshirt freshman linebacker at Middle Tennessee State University.
“There was an improvement in the facilities from the last time I was there,” he continued. “It really fits Clemson. When you think about Clemson, the facilities were exactly how I’d imagine and they matched the expectations.”
Speaking of improvement, Mason is hoping he can further build his relationship with Clemson’s defensive ends coach, who spent seven years coaching at The Ensworth School.
“I really haven’t gotten to talk to him,” he said. “Over the next year, I’m gonna try to build a better relationship now that I can finally talk to him and communicate.”
While he was on campus a couple of months ago now, Mason said he had a good conversation with Hall. The NCAA ru1es prevent Hall from directly contacting Mason until Sept. 1 of his junior season, but he still wants to stay in contact and build a relationship.
“I for sure want to keep a close relationship with Coach Lemanskiu Hall,” Mason continued.
While Curtis hasn’t been in contact with Clemson since he visited in March, he’s going to try to get back up to Tiger Town to camp there this summer.
As far as his recruitment is concerned, things have been picking up pretty fast. Mason pinpointed Michigan and Boston College as two schools that have stopped by Ensworth multiple times.
He currently holds offers from the pair of programs mentioned above, as well as Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Louisville, South Carolina, Kansas and Mississippi State.
What are some of the more important factors that Mason is looking for in a school at the next level?
“I know a main factor is the culture that the school has and how the coaches on the team connect with the players outside of football,” he said. “Like getting to know them personally, what they’ve been through and everything like that.”
In addition to Clemson, Mason visited both South Carolina and Mississippi State. His main focus this summer will be getting to camps, and he previously expressed interest in making his way back to Tiger Town for the Dabo Swinney Camp this summer.
Mason underwent thumb surgery in late-February, so he’s hoping to be cleared by next month. He actually hurt his thumb prior to his sophomore season at Ensworth. Mason played the entire season with the injury, in which he tore a ligament and it ripped some of the bone off.
After playing this past basketball season, that’s when he had to call it and opt for surgery. Mason’s thumb was constantly getting hit and he could no longer withstand the pain.
While he will be limited in what he can do this spring, Mason is only gonna continue to get better.
— Photo for this article courtesy of Mason Curtis.
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