The Clemson Insider recently caught up with a talented signal-caller from the Cornhusker State who is closing in on double-digit scholarship offers and made his first-ever trip to Tiger Town this spring.
Bellevue West High School (Bellevue, Neb.) quarterback Daniel Kaelin – a 6-foot-2, 195-pound rising junior in the 2024 class – was on campus at Clemson for an unofficial visit last month on April 8.
“I enjoyed it a lot,” he told TCI. “We got to tour basically around all the facilities and the campus, and it was a beautiful campus, great facilities. I had a really good time.”
Kaelin pointed to a couple aspects of the visit that stood out to him in particular – the culture and the coaches, including offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter.
“I liked talking to Coach Streeter,” he said. “They’re really family oriented, and I just thought the way they explained their culture, it’s a really high-level culture. Obviously, it’s been a really high-level program.”
What did Kaelin hear from Streeter overall when they were able to chat?
“He kind of ran me through what he expects out of his quarterbacks, kind of talked about their system, and then he came along with us on some of the tours and stuff,” Kaelin said.
Streeter is showing a good bit of interest in Kaelin and wants to see him throw at the Dabo Swinney Camp next month, as well as see some more film from him this upcoming season.
While Kaelin isn’t sure yet whether he’ll camp at Clemson, it’s certainly something he is looking to possibly do.
“I’m going to try and come out to camp,” he said. “I know there’s a lot of schools that want me to come out, so it just depends which schools I can end up getting out to. But that’s definitely a pretty high-priority camp that I want to get out to, but nothing’s final yet.”
The fact that Kaelin is on the recruiting radar of Streeter and a program with Clemson’s prestige – especially considering the caliber of quarterbacks that have suited up for the Tigers in recent years – “definitely means a lot” to Kaelin, he said.
“Arguably some of the best quarterbacks have come out in the last couple years,” he added. “So, it’s definitely exciting to get some interest from a school like that.”
Kaelin describes himself as a quarterback “who can just pick apart the defense.”
“I feel like my accuracy is my biggest strength, and I feel like I’m really cerebral,” he explained. “I feel like I know where to go with the ball, I know what the defense is doing. So, I would say that’s my strengths.”
Kaelin’s offer list includes Florida State, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Nebraska, Michigan State, Minnesota, Rutgers, Kansas and Arizona State, while Georgia is another school that hasn’t yet offered but is showing interest, along with Clemson. He was also expecting Wisconsin and Duke to watch him throw at his school this week.
Of the schools that have already offered, Kaelin mentioned Minnesota, Michigan State, Vanderbilt and Missouri as those he’s been communicating with the most.
What would a future offer from Clemson mean to Kaelin, should he earn the opportunity to play for the Tigers?
“That would definitely mean a lot,” he said. “I feel like it would just show a lot of the hard work that I’ve put in. It’s such a prestigious school and successful school. So, it would definitely mean a lot to get an offer from them.”
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