Tag: Clemson camp

Up-and-coming OL reflects on ‘first-class’ experience at Clemson

An up-and-coming offensive tackle proposed from the Tar Heel State, who has recently started to see his recruitment pick up this spring and summer, participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp in June. Mooresville (N.C.) Lake Norman High’s Ethan Calloway – …

An up-and-coming offensive tackle proposed from the Tar Heel State, who has recently started to see his recruitment pick up this spring and summer, participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp in June.

Mooresville (N.C.) Lake Norman High’s Ethan Calloway — a 6-foot-7, 300-pound rising junior in the class of 2024 – camped at Clemson on June 11.

“It was first-class,” Calloway recently told The Clemson Insider regarding his Clemson camp experience. “I got to meet (offensive line) Coach (Thomas) Austin. It was amazing. He’s an amazing coach. Everything about it was really good. Learned a lot there and I was able to use everything I learned there at other camps and got even better.”

According to Calloway, Austin’s made everything a lot more simplistic, so it was a lot easier for him to comprehend the different techniques that he was teaching. He also said that Clemson’s offensive line coach taught him to block people that he wasn’t able to before.

“He was able to answer basically every question I had,” Calloway said.

Calloway appreciated the way Clemson’s staff coached because a lot of times at these camps, it’s used as a recruiting tool and there’s not a lot of coaching that takes place. He really appreciated that Clemson’s coaches were coaching, correcting and making sure that he gained something out of his experience.

In addition to Clemson, Calloway also camped at Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, N.C. State, South Carolina and Maryland. He also attended N.C. State’s invite-only Alpha Wolf Showcase on Friday, July 29 and made his way back to Virginia Tech that same weekend.

“It’s been amazing,” Calloway said of his experiences this summer. “I haven’t really had any chances to be close to colleges until this year. So, it’s been crazy. Especially with seeing colleges up close, being in Clemson’s facilities and everything, it’s been insane. Clemson is definitely one of the nicest places I’ve ever been.”

“I honestly can’t wait to be back at Clemson, even if it’s just for a game,” he added. 

With that, Calloway is excited to see what interest and opportunities come his way once Sept. 1 rolls around. There’s also a level of excitement that comes with his upcoming junior season. After working with an offensive line trainer this summer, there’s a noticeable difference in his game. Calloway is ready to prove that he’s one of the most improved offensive linemen in his class.

“I would say I try to be aggressive,” Calloway said when asked to describe himself as a player. “I would argue that as an o-lineman, I’m more of a run-blocking kind of guy. I haven’t been playing for the longest — I’ve got two years under my belt, but I guess I’d describe myself as a run-blocking offensive lineman.”

Calloway has certainly focused on his pass protection this summer and in his personal opinion, he feels like he’s greatly improved ahead of his junior season.

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Former teammate of Tigers freshman ‘in love’ with Clemson, waiting for offer

Earlier this summer, Clemson played host to a Peach State cornerback, who is a former teammate of a current Tigers freshman. Israel “Jacob” Boyce – a 6-foot, 175-pound rising junior out of Douglas County High (Georgia) – participated in the June 1 …

Earlier this summer, Clemson played host to a Peach State cornerback, who is a former teammate of a current Tigers freshman.

Israel “Jacob“ Boyce — a 6-foot, 175-pound rising junior out of Douglas County High (Georgia) — participated in the June 1 session of Dabo Swinney Camp. He also had the chance to camp at programs like Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State and LSU this summer.

Though Boyce, who is a former teammate and close friend of Myles Oliver, kept coming back to his time at Clemson and spoke glowingly of his experience in a phone interview with The Clemson Insider recently.

“My experience at Clemson was great,” Boyce said. “I already loved Clemson. I already had a spot in my heart about Clemson. When I went up there — it was different. When I went through the camp, the competition was great, getting to compete with players from all over the country.

After he participated in that day’s particular session of Swinney Camp, Boyce was taken on a tour of campus. Boyce loves to be in the weight room and see the progression that he has, so the weight room at Clemson stood out to him.

Was there anything that stood out about his camp experience?

“(Cornerbacks) Coach (Mike) Reed, he was really on me in the camp,” Boyce said. “I messed up a couple of times and he held me accountable like, after the drills, he was making me go back out there. I competed well at the camp. They ended up moving me from 2024 to compete with the seniors in 2023.”

Boyce loves that type of coaching.

“I’d rather learn what I’m doing wrong than keep doing the wrong thing and keep making the same mistake,” Boyce added. “I love that he kept holding me accountable and kept making me re-do it.”

That style of coaching was one of the pieces that helped sell one of Boyce’s former teammates — Myles Oliver — on Clemson. The freshman cornerback is currently amidst his first fall camp at Clemson and from all indications, has received that same level of hands-on coaching from Reed that Boyce received earlier this summer.

The way Oliver talks about Clemson, Boyce really wanted to see it for himself.

“Every time he comes back down here, we always talk about Clemson,” Boyce said of Oliver. “The first time we see each other, it’s always one of the first things he talks about. Before I came up from the camp, me and Myles was already talking about it. But after I visited, it was just more and more Clemson.”

Boyce had been talking with Reed, even before he started to rake in the scholarship offers this past spring. Since the end of April, Boyce has added offers from Middle Tennessee State, Coastal Carolina, Boston College, Arkansas State, Buffalo, Florida A&M, Liberty, Akron, Eastern Michigan and Morehouse College.

He believes that this season ahead will be big for him and his current recruitment.

“My recruitment is still going up,” he said. “I’m waiting on that Clemson (offer).”

What would a potential offer from the Tigers mean to Boyce?

“That would be a game-changer,” he said. “That would be different. I’m already in love with Clemson, so that would be different.”

According to Boyce, Reed wants to get him back up on campus for a game day visit this fall.

“That was music to my ears because I definitely want to come back up there,” Boyce said. “When he said that, that was one of the biggest things. But, he also said that he was going to stay on top of me. Ever since then, Myles (Oliver) he’ll come back and share with me some stuff about what Coach Reed said.”

— Photo for this article courtesy of Israel Boyce.

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Clemson opens camp Photo Gallery

The boys are back in town. The Tigers hit the practice fields for the first day of camp on Friday. Check out some great pictures from day 1 of Clemson’s camp in TCI’s Photo Gallery. Photos courtesy Dawson Powers. Dear Old Clemson has added to the …

The boys are back in town.  The Tigers hit the practice fields for the first day of camp on Friday.

Check out some great pictures from day 1 of Clemson’s camp in TCI’s Photo Gallery.

Photos courtesy Dawson Powers.

Dear Old Clemson has added to the store posters signed by all 20 members of Clemson’s 2022 football class.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!