Among the standout prospects who participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp earlier this month was one of the nation’s top kickers in the class of 2024.
Hough High School’s (Cornelius, N.C.) Nolan Hauser, who is considered to be the No. 1 kicker in the nation by Chris Sailer Kicking worked out at the Swinney Camp on Saturday, June 11.
“It was awesome,” Hauser told The Clemson Insider regarding his Swinney Camp experience. “I mean, I got to kick in Death Valley, so that was pretty cool. I’ve always dreamed of kicking at Death Valley, maybe next time it’ll be on game day.”
What type of feedback did Hauser get from Clemson’s coaching staff?
“I got (feedback) from both (Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and Bill Spiers),” he said. “They both said I kicked really well. I have to be patient with the whole process and wait it out. They’re not in a rush to take a ’24 (kicker). So, I have to wait it out and see how things go.”
Speaking with The Clemson Insider after he visited this spring, Hauser told us that Clemson had spoken to him about a potential offer, but they really needed to see him kick in person first. His plan was to go down there this summer to camp and gain condi
While Hauser would, obviously, like to have an offer from Clemson, he’s appreciative that the Tigers have been honest with him and haven’t misled him during the process. Clemson has only offered a handful of prospects of Hauser’s class.
“It would be awesome,” he said regarding a potential offer from the Tigers. “That would be a huge step in my recruiting. Clemson has been through the family, so that would be awesome to have and maybe be on that field someday.”
Hauser felt like he definitely showed what he wanted to show when he kicked for Swinney and Spiers in The Valley. He made a 56-yard field goal in front of Clemson’s head coach. When Swinney came over, Hauser didn’t even have to kick kickoffs for him; that’s all he needed to see.
While Swinney’s presence at Memorial Stadium was exciting for Hauser, he’s mainly cultivated a relationship with Spiers.
“It’s always really cool to talk with him because it’s not only about football, but it’s about family,” Hauser said of Clemson’s director of special teams. “It’s always good to talk with him. It’s always something new. My parents are always talking to him and he’s always very friendly. His family’s very friendly. We had a chance to meet (Spiers’ youngest daughter) Mary Crosby when we were down there…it’s always really cool to see him. Even though he can’t contact me, we always find ways to contact each other if I call him.”
In addition to Clemson, Hauser has been to North Carolina, Ohio State and Penn State this summer. He picked up an offer from the Tar Heels during his visit earlier this month and added it to his offer list, which includes the University of Maryland as well.
“It’s great to have all these different experiences, especially so young,” Hauser said. “I get to expose myself at a really young age. It shows that I can really grow to the coaches. It’s awesome to be able to see all these places and get to see what’s ahead in the future.”
Right now, Hauser is using this dead period to hit the gym and put on some extra weight before the season. As far as preparation goes, Hauser will usually go to the gym in the morning and then go kick in the early afternoon. Rather than “kicking than crap out of the ball,” he’s focused on his mechanics and contact going forward.
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