After making his first-ever visit to Clemson last month, a highly regarded defensive back from the Yellowhammer State can see himself suiting up for Dabo Swinney’s program.
Clemson’s head coach left a strong impression on Selma (Ala.) High School four-star safety DaKaari Nelson when he was on campus for the Tigers’ elite junior day Jan. 29.
“He’s a very humble person – him, his family and all the coaches there,” Nelson said this week in an interview with The Clemson Insider. “I definitely can see myself playing there, especially with all the players they’ve put in the league in recent years that played my position and have my talents. So yeah, I can see myself playing up there.”
Nelson (6-3, 195) was particularly and pleasantly surprised by Swinney’s outgoing personality, considering his prominent stature as one of college football’s most successful coaches.
“Most definitely how social Coach Swinney was,” Nelson said when asked what stood out to him most from his visit. “Because him being a very well-known coach and famous, I expected him to be put away somewhere in the office somewhere. But he was out playing with us, communicating with us and everything.”
Along with Swinney, Nelson spent the most time with co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Mickey Conn and area recruiter Lemanski Hall while on campus as the lone safety in attendance for Clemson’s elite junior day.
“Their message was mainly how they’re putting a lot of their recruiting into me,” Nelson said. “I was the only safety they invited to their junior day. So that was their message, and then they were really stressing how life after football would go, not just football.”
One of the highlights of Nelson’s experience at Clemson came when he earned a coveted offer from the Tigers.
Nelson – a consensus four-star prospect, according to the major recruiting services, and a top-100 national recruit in the 2023 class, per Rivals – was informed of his Clemson offer while watching film with Conn after the staff had the junior day visitors break out into their position groups.
“They had broken us off into positions, and like I said, I was the only safety there,” Nelson said. “So, it was me and Coach Conn, we were one-on-one in the room watching a little film. And then he was like, ‘We see you playing this position here, so that’s why we’re going to offer you.’ And that’s how I found out.”
“I was excited,” Nelson added, regarding his reaction to the offer. “It felt like I was getting drafted.”
Nelson was accompanied by his parents and three younger sisters for the junior day.
“They really liked it,” he said. “Clemson left a great impression upon them.”
According to Nelson, who holds two dozen total offers, Clemson strengthened its standing in his recruitment thanks to the visit.
“I really enjoyed it,” he said. “That visit helped me get a closer look at Clemson, and it helped them recruiting me wise. So, they’re high up on my schools (list), my offers.”
Nelson said he doesn’t currently have any visits scheduled but plans to return to Clemson soon to take in a spring practice or attend the spring game.
In addition to Clemson, he has checked out schools such as Penn State, Michigan, Tennessee, Auburn, Arkansas and Vanderbilt. All of those schools have offered him, along with NC State, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Missouri and Cincinnati among others.
Nelson expects to release his top schools list “sometime late spring, early May.”
The Tigers figure to certainly be among the teams in his top group.
“Clemson is high on my chart, on my board,” he said.
Added Nelson of what’s important to him as he goes through the recruiting process: “In a school, I’m looking for the family aspect. Like, am I comfortable with the school, not just with the coaches? Am I comfortable with the playing style? And how much a school has been communicating with me.”
Nelson is ranked as high as the No. 4 safety and No. 80 overall prospect in the 2023 class by Rivals. According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, he is the No. 16 safety and No. 162 overall prospect in his class.
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