Tag: clemson football recruiting

Clemson in hot pursuit of 4-star Peach State TE

Clemson’s tight end recruiting in the class of 2024 is only getting started and The Clemson Insider has the latest on a name worth monitoring in Carrollton (Ga.) four-star Caleb Odom. TCI recently caught up with Odom, who was one of the top …

Clemson’s tight end recruiting in the class of 2024 is only getting started and The Clemson Insider has the latest on a name worth monitoring in Carrollton (Ga.) four-star Caleb Odom.

TCI recently caught up with Odom, who was one of the top prospects in attendance for Clemson’s 30-20 win over NC State at Death Valley on Saturday, Oct. 1.

“It was crazy,” Odom said in a phone interview recently regarding his visit. “The atmosphere was just electric. It was just insane. I just felt like the crowd was crazy. I don’t know, I’ve never seen something like the pregame, how they roll out of the buses and run down the hill. That kind of stood out to me, definitely the pregame. I just felt like the fans were cheering nonstop. I just felt like it was crazy.”

It was a great game for Clemson to play host to a tight end recruit like Odom because the Tigers’ tight ends, Davis Allen and Jake Briningstool, combined for 75 yards and a touchdown in the win. Allen would also later be named Clemson’s Offensive Player of the Game.

“It was actually crazy,” he said. “I got to talk to Davis Allen before the game. I actually knew him. He went to Calhoun and one of my teachers knew him from a connection. I was able to talk to him for a little bit. Watching them use the tight ends, especially in that game, but also in Wake Forest, they were able to do a lot with them. I like the type of gameplan they have for their tight ends.”

Odom got his first feel for Dabo Swinney’s program as soon as he stepped foot on campus.

“When all the recruits first got there, Coach Swinney gave a big speech,” Odom said. “He was just talking about how Clemson is a place where you’ll be able to build relationships beyond football and just how education is very important. I feel like that was very important to me because it could be a place where I’d be wanting to go as a home.”

Odom has been in constant contact with Kyle Richardson since Sept. 1. It was Clemson’s tight ends coach who extended Odom the invitation to the NC State game and made sure he spoke with him at length during his first trip to The Valley.

“It was good to finally see who I was talking to,” Odom said.

Odom said that his relationship with Richardson is one of the better ones that he currently has and that it was nice to finally put a name to a face.

“He was just telling me that they love what they see on film and stuff,” Odom recalled of his conversation with Richardson. “He was telling me that they take the offer process really slowly. He was gonna give me a call later (last) week, so hopefully it’s good news. He was just telling me that they were glad to have me down.”

According to Odom, Richardson said that he likes his ability as a route runner for his size, standing at 6-foot-6, 215 pounds, but Clemson’s tight ends coach also like his ability to go up and make contested catches.

In any event, Odom did say that Richardson told him that he’s an offer-worthy prospect.

“Hopefully they will offer soon, though, I would really love it,” he said regarding a potential offer from Clemson. “Just knowing how they treat the players outside of football… Just knowing I can be in an environment like that, especially during game days with the crowd. A place like Death Valley is just crazy.”

Odom said he talked to Richardson the other day about getting up for the Clemson-Miami game on Nov. 19.

“I’m definitely gonna try to get back up for that game,” Odom added.

In addition to Clemson, Odom mentions that schools like LSU, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest and North Carolina, as well as a lot of other SEC and ACC programs, have been showing extensive interest.

Odom, the nation’s No. 14 overall tight end in the class of 2024, per the 247Sports Composite rankings, is a self-described route-running technician, who hones in on his blocking abilities on the perimeter. He mostly plays receiver at Carrollton, but he’s the type of player that’s gonna get after it on every play.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

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LB recruit, brother of freshman Tiger: Clemson is ‘special’

Clemson has made a big impression on this talented linebacker prospect, whose older brother is a freshman on the Tigers’ football team. Jesuit High School (Tampa, Fla.) junior Drew Woodaz – a 6-foot-3, 190-pound recruit in the class of 2024 – has …

Clemson has made a big impression on this talented linebacker prospect, whose older brother is a freshman on the Tigers’ football team.

Jesuit High School (Tampa, Fla.) junior Drew Woodaz – a 6-foot-3, 190-pound recruit in the class of 2024 – has been blown away by his experiences in Tiger Town.

Drew is the younger brother of Clemson freshman linebacker Wade Woodaz, and Drew has made multiple unofficial recruiting visits to Death Valley this season. He also attended the Orange & White spring game back in April before competing at the Dabo Swinney Camp in June.

“It gets better every single time I go there,” Drew said in a recent interview with The Clemson Insider. “I mean, it’s an unreal place. It’s special. Having my brother there, it’s nice to always have someone on the inside, telling me how he feels about it, and I haven’t heard him say a single bad thing.”

Added Drew of his brother’s experience at Clemson thus far: “He loves it. I call him at least once a week and I just ask him, I’m like, ‘How is it?’ He hasn’t said a single bad thing once.”

2024 LB Drew Woodaz (left) and Clemson LB Wade Woodaz during pregame of the Tigers’ spring game Saturday, April 9, 2022 at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium. Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider

When Drew participated in the Swinney Camp this summer, he drew positive feedback about his camp performance from Clemson defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Wes Goodwin.

Drew called it “a great honor” to get a good camp review from a high-level coach like Goodwin.

“He always tells me, keep working,” Drew said. “When I went to the camp up there this summer, he said that I performed very well.”

As for what stands out most to Drew about Swinney’s program, it’s the culture that Clemson’s head coach has created and how his players are “All In.”

“The way Dabo runs things is perfect,” Drew said. “Everyone buys in. Last year, no one opted out for the bowl game unless they were injured, which shows you a lot about the program. That’s special, and I think that’s what really draws me to the program.”

Drew has collected double-digit Division I FBS offers, including ones from Power Five programs in Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, Louisville, Virginia Tech, Kansas, Missouri and Vanderbilt.

If Drew were to receive an offer from Clemson in the future, the chance to follow in his brother’s footsteps as a Tiger – and carve out his own legacy at the same time – would be “surreal” for him.

“I think it would be crazy, because it’s been a dream since I was a kid, and it would be surreal,” he said. “It would be fun to follow in my brother’s footsteps, but to create my own path and become my own person and just be myself and really show people what type of player I am.”

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

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!

Priority defensive back target gives the latest on recruitment

Since reopening his recruitment and decommitting from Wake Forest on Oct. 3, Khalil Barnes has heard from a myriad of college coaches. No other schools besides Clemson have pulled the trigger on a scholarship offer, but the three-star defensive back …

Since reopening his recruitment and decommitting from Wake Forest on Oct. 3, Khalil Barnes has heard from a myriad of college coaches. 

No other schools besides Clemson have pulled the trigger on a scholarship offer, but the three-star defensive back out of Bogart (Ga.) North Oconee High, has received extensive interest from programs like Ole Miss, Georgia and Georgia Tech.

“It’s kind of the same as it’s been, Wake and Clemson are definitely recruiting me the hardest and showing me the most interest,” Barnes told The Clemson Insider in a phone interview recently.

Ever since Clemson offered Barnes on Sept. 22, he’s been in constant contact with defensive coordinator Wesley Goodwin and co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Mickey Conn. He said that his conversations with Goodwin and Conn are more personable, that they don’t talk about football.

“I feel like I talk to him the most out of any coach from up there,” Barnes said of Conn. “I can call him and we can probably talk about what I had for lunch and have a good conversation. He always lets me know that at Clemson, they really want me. He feels that I’m the guy that they need to have with this recruiting class. It’s good talks for sure.”

Barnes said that Conn has outlined what role he would potentially play in Clemson’s defense, which would be similar to that of Andrew Mukuba. Barnes would learn the nickel back position, as well as the “star” position, which is more of a hybrid safety role. He said that he would also learn Clemson’s corner calls and since he’s worked at corner in high school, it would be a natural fit for him.

“I can go up there and I’d have the chance to compete to play early,” he said. “I can play any of those positions they need me to, which is what they expect out of me.”

Barnes will return to Clemson next weekend for the Syracuse game on Oct. 22. This will be an unofficial visit and he’ll be accompanied by his high school coaches, who have coached with Conn, as well as his father. Barnes will then make his way back for the South Carolina game on Nov. 26 and take an official visit that weekend.

It sounds like Clemson will play host to its class of 2023 commits that weekend, so it’ll give Barnes a chance to be around some of those guys.

Barnes has been in contact with a few Clemson commits: Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek four-star linebacker Jamal Anderson, Birmingham (Ala.) Briarwood Christain School five-star quarterback Christopher Vizizna and St. John’s College High (Washington, D.C.) four-star defensive end David Ojiegbe.

“I talk to Jamal, he’s recruiting me pretty hard,” Barnes said of Anderson. “He always lets me know that Clemson is the place to be. Me and him used to talk about how we wanted to play with each other, he tells me we got the chance there. He definitely recruits me pretty hard.”

Like Barnes, half of Clemson’s class of 2023 commits hail from the Peach State.

“I definitely look at it just in case Clemson is the place,” he said. “It’d be a lot of familiarity with who I’d be around and just the kind of guys I’d be on the team with. They also got a lot of guys on their team from Georgia. That’d be cool. Again, they got dudes like David (Ojiegbe), who I met my first time down at Clemson, me and him built a pretty good bond. If I did go there, I would feel like I wouldn’t have trouble building relationships and being cool with the other guys and all.”

As far as a decision timeline is concerned, Barnes imagines that it’ll likely come close to the early signing period. He’s hoping to be a mid-year enrollee and said that all the schools he’s been in contact with will be able to accommodate him on that.

“You can’t be wrong,” Barnes said. “You really gotta make sure you make the right decision for this one.”

When it’s time for Barnes to sit down and make his college decision, what are going to be some of the more important factors that he’s looking for in a school at the next level?

“A lot of things that go further than football,” he said. “For one, I want to go to a place where I can build my faith and there won’t be any kind of dropoff. Two, I want to go to a place where graduating is a must kind of thing. I don’t just want to go there and be a good football player and have a chance to go to the NFL, then fall out and not have any backup plan. I want to go somewhere where they’re gonna make sure I’m set for life after football. Three, just the opportunity on how early I can have the chance to compete.”

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

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!

In-state OL, top-100 prospect can see himself playing for Tigers

A highly touted Clemson in-state offensive line target returned to Tiger Town two weekends ago. Dillon (S.C.) High School four-star tackle Josiah Thompson, a top-100 national prospect in the 2024 class, made an unofficial visit to Clemson for the …

A highly touted Clemson in-state offensive line target returned to Tiger Town two weekends ago.

Dillon (S.C.) High School four-star tackle Josiah Thompson, a top-100 national prospect in the 2024 class, made an unofficial visit to Clemson for the Tigers’ 30-20 victory over NC State on Saturday, Oct. 1.

“I really enjoyed the visit to the Clemson and NC State game,” Thompson told The Clemson Insider.

The 6-foot-6, 280-pound junior came away impressed by the environment at Death Valley during the top-10 matchup at night.

“The atmosphere was amazing,” he said, “and it’s awesome to see how much the fans have love towards the players and team.”

Thompson’s family accompanied him to Clemson, and it was their first time taking in a game there.

Dillon (S.C.) High School 2024 four-star OL Josiah Thompson during pregame Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022 at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium. Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider

“My dad, mom and little brother came with me,” he said. “They really enjoyed.”

Thompson, who received an offer from Clemson at the beginning of June when the Tigers began extending offers to 2024 prospects, has been able to catch up with both offensive line coach Thomas Austin and head coach Dabo Swinney.

“It has been a while since I saw coach TA in person. It was great seeing him again,” Thompson said. “I spoke with Coach Swinney on the phone later on that week after the game.”

Thompson also traveled to Clemson for a visit back on March 12 and competed at the Swinney Camp in the summer of 2021.

Where do the Tigers stand with him right now following his latest trip to campus?

“Clemson is an amazing school with amazing opportunities,” he said. “I can see myself playing for the Clemson Tigers.”

Thompson visited Georgia for its game vs. Auburn this past Saturday and is set to be in Knoxville for Tennessee’s game against Alabama this Saturday.

Georgia, Auburn and Tennessee have offered Thompson, along with schools such as South Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

A consensus four-star prospect according to the major recruiting services, Thompson is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Palmetto State for the 2024 class by 247Sports, while he is ranked as high as the nation’s No. 71 overall prospect in his class by the 247Sports Composite, which considers him the No. 5 offensive tackle in the class.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

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!

Clemson making a move with 5-star linebacker

It’s no longer a secret that Clemson is one of the favorite schools of Jadon Perlotte. The five-star linebacker out of Buford (Ga.) has been adamant about that fact, even though he didn’t make his way back to campus over the summer. Perlotte – a …

It’s no longer a secret that Clemson is one of the favorite schools of Jadon Perlotte.

The five-star linebacker out of Buford (Ga.) has been adamant about that fact, even though he didn’t make his way back to campus over the summer.

Perlotte — a 6-foot-4, 200-pound sophomore in the class of 2025 — recently made his first-ever gameday visit to Death Valley for Clemson’s top-10 showdown against NC State on Saturday, Oct. 1.

“It was great,” Perlotte recently told The Clemson Insider regarding his visit. “That’s the most fans I’ve ever seen and we got to run down the hill. I didn’t see any open spots.”

With Clemson being one of Perlotte’s dream schools, what is it about Dabo Swinney’s program that appeals to a prospect like Perlotte?

“The culture,” he said. “I sit in there and listen for hours, listening to Coach Dabo preach about the system and how they do things differently. They’re a family team and that’s all they care about is the person beside them. That’s what I pay attention to.”

Perlotte said that he has a great relationship with most of Clemson’s staff and spent a lot of time around the Tigers’ defensive assistants before and after last Saturday’s game.

“I’m close with the whole staff there,” he said.

Being a linebacker himself, keyed in on players like Trenton Simpson, Barett Carter and Jeremiah Trotter, Jr.

“They’re very versatile and that’s how I base my game off of,” Perlotte said of Clemson’s linebackers. “All their linebackers can play either spot, safety, they can lock down or they can play in the box. That’s kind of what I was paying attention to was their versatility.”

He’ll have the chance to do that a couple more times, as it seems likely that Perlotte will make his way back to Tiger Town for multiple games this season.

“I’m gonna get back to a couple of games at Clemson,” he said. “I’ll be down there for sure. I’m gonna have to ask my mom, she’s been planning all of this. She really loves Clemson, so I got to make probably about three more games down there.”

Right now, Perlotte is patiently waiting for an offer from the Tigers, one that he’s hopeful will come sooner than later.

“I mean, it’s gonna be a lot,” Perlotte said regarding a potential scholarship offer. “We’ve talked multiple times about it. We’ve been talking about it and they said, ‘When we get the chance it’s gonna happen. Just wait until the time and it’ll be a special moment.'”

“It don’t bother me that much,” he continued. “I know it’s coming, I just gotta stay on it.”

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

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!

‘It’s just different’: Rising Virginia wideout talks ‘one of the best visits’ to Clemson

One of Clemson’s top receiver targets in the 2024 recruiting class returned to Tiger Town last weekend. King George (Va.) three-star Mekhai White was accompanied by his father and brother, as he made his way to campus for Clemson’s 30-20 victory …

One of Clemson’s top receiver targets in the 2024 recruiting class returned to Tiger Town last weekend.

King George (Va.) three-star Mekhai White was accompanied by his father and brother, as he made his way to campus for Clemson’s 30-20 victory over NC State at Death Valley on Saturday, Oct. 1.

“It was an amazing experience. It was great,” White told The Clemson Insider regarding his visit. “The coaching staff was great. The atmosphere was great. Just the people inside the facility make it so special.”

“It was a great experience,” he said regarding the atmosphere in Death Valley. “A lot of fans are screaming, yelling — they’re really passionate. They show a lot of love to the football team down there.”

Speaking of showing love, White had a chance to chop it up with Tyler Grisham. White said that he had a “great conversation” with Clemson’s wide receivers coach, as they got to know each other a little bit more. White also indicated that Grisham is exactly the same in person as he is over the phone.

“We didn’t talk much about recruiting, but he said that he would keep in touch with me and that he’s really interested in me,” White said regarding his conversation with Grisham. “We’re just building a relationship.”

White feels like his relationship with Grisham improved now that he was finally able to make his way down to Clemson.

What stood out about White’s first trip to Tiger Town?

“Just the culture down there, how they run things and things like that,” he said. “Clemson is just different from other schools. It’s just different.”

“Man, one of the best visits I’ve been on so far,” White added.

Those sentiments were echoed by his family members.

“They loved it,” he said. “They said the same thing, it’s just different. The whole environment and everything is just different down there.

This Saturday, Oct. 15, White will be at the University of Tennessee. He’s also hoping to visit Georgia, and Auburn and hopefully schedule more visits before the end of the season.

White doesn’t envision that he’ll be back at Clemson in 2022 but said that he “definitely” needs to get back down there following the season.

“I gotta go back down there,” White said. “I love that place.”

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

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

5-star, No. 1 ranked recruit details ‘great time’ on Clemson game visit

One of the headliners among the recruits in attendance for Clemson’s top-10 showdown against NC State on Oct. 1 was a five-star offensive lineman ranked by multiple recruiting services as the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 class. David …

One of the headliners among the recruits in attendance for Clemson’s top-10 showdown against NC State on Oct. 1 was a five-star offensive lineman ranked by multiple recruiting services as the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 class.

David Sanders Jr. of Providence Day School (Charlotte, N.C.) recently went in-depth with The Clemson Insider about his experience on campus for the Tigers’ 30-20 victory over the Wolfpack at Death Valley.

It wasn’t his first time at Clemson, as he visited twice in the spring, though it was his first gameday visit there.

“The Clemson game, that was definitely a big game for me. I enjoyed myself a lot,” Sanders said. “The atmosphere with them playing NC State – it was a top-10 matchup – was really cool. That was a really cool experience. I got to experience the new LED lights in the stadium and the new scoreboard. Those two additions to the stadium really made the experience more fun.

“But overall, I had a great time. When I got to the stadium, I was able to meet all the coaches and all the players, too. … Then also they let us go to the top of the hill for the pregame for them to run down the hill. That was definitely the coolest experience ever, just to experience how steep that hill really is, because I always hear it’s steeper than it looks. … So, I enjoyed that a lot, and just the experience overall – the atmosphere, the fans, the facility – it was really cool. So, I enjoyed the whole thing.”

Sanders made the trip to Tiger Town with his parents.

“They enjoyed it a lot,” he said. “That was their third time going up to Clemson. So, we enjoyed it, and just that family atmosphere – I come from a family atmosphere, and then at Providence Day, it’s all family. So, when we go to Clemson, they treat us like that, and we enjoy that.”

Sanders, a 6-foot-7, 250-pound sophomore, cited the atmosphere and coaching staff as what stood out the most to him from the visit.

“They’re always down to earth, and every single coach came up to me and talked to me at least for a couple minutes,” he said. “So, they made me feel like a priority while I was up there, and that definitely made me feel good. But the main thing for me was just the atmosphere.”

The Tigers typically don’t offer prospects until the summer before their junior year, so according to Sanders, the coaches told him to stay patient and “trust the process” with them.

“They take their time in offering a lot of people, so their message to me was basically just wait your time and your time is really coming,” he said. “Just do what you’ve got to do in the classroom and on the field and just keep being who I am, and hopefully my time will be coming for Clemson University.”

Added Sanders: “But just getting to talk to them and just knowing how much they want me, even though they don’t offer sophomores… but they’re keeping me in the loop with the program and with the players, and every time I go up there, they just make me feel like I’m family. So, that’s always a plus for them.”

Sanders said he has also been to South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and East Carolina recently. He’s looking to check out NC State and Georgia before season’s end but doesn’t have any visits scheduled as of now.

He intends to return to Clemson this offseason, and perhaps even again this season, in order to further his relationship with head coach Dabo Swinney and particularly offensive line coach Thomas Austin.

“I’ll try to make it up for another game if possible,” he said. “But I’ll definitely be up there a lot during the offseason for like junior day and just unofficial visits to spend more time around the program and the coaches, just to sit down and talk to them and pick their brain a little bit, see what they’re thinking.

“But I want to be around the program as much as possible so I can build that relationship with not only Coach Swinney, but Coach Austin because that’s probably who I’ll be spending my most time with, knowing that’s the offensive line coach. So, I just want to get to know him as much as possible and for us to build that relationship.”

Schools such as Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, NC State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest have offered Sanders, who is certainly high on the Tigers early in the process.

“I’ve always had a high respect for Clemson, just what they stand for as a program,” he said. “They’ve never changed for anybody, no matter if you’re a four-star or a three-star or no-star. They treat all their players that they’re recruiting the exact same, and that’s one thing I’ve always respected about them.

“So, Clemson’s definitely one of my favorite schools out there, and just getting to be around the program and know all the coaches well, that’s going to mean a lot to me. But Clemson’s definitely one of my favorite schools, for sure.”

Sanders, who is rated as a five-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite, is ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the country for the 2025 class by the 247Sports Composite, 247Sports and Rivals.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

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!

The Insider Report: Updates on 5-stars, top Clemson targets

We hope everyone had a great weekend. It’s time for this week’s edition of The Insider Report. Clemson making a move with Peach State TE Clemson’s tight end recruiting in the class of 2024 is only getting started and a name worth monitoring is …

We hope everyone had a great weekend.

It’s time for this week’s edition of The Insider Report.

Clemson making a move with Peach State TE

Clemson’s tight end recruiting in the class of 2024 is only getting started and a name worth monitoring is Carrollton (Ga.) four-star Caleb Odom (pictured above).

The Clemson Insider recently caught up with Odom, who was one of the top prospects in attendance for Clemson’s 30-20 win over NC State at Death Valley on Saturday, Oct. 1.

“It was crazy,” Odom said in a phone interview recently regarding his visit. “The atmosphere was just electric. It was just insane. I just felt like the crowd was crazy. I don’t know, I’ve never seen something like the pregame, how they roll out of the buses and run down the hill. That kind of stood out to me, definitely the pregame. I just felt like the fans were cheering nonstop. I just felt like it was crazy.”

Odom has been in constant contact with Kyle Richardson since Sept. 1. It was Clemson’s tight ends coach who extended Odom the invitation to the NC State game and made sure he spoke with him at length during his first trip to The Valley.

Odom said that his relationship with Richardson is one of the better ones that he currently has and that it was nice to finally put a name to a face.

“He was just telling me that they love what they see on film and stuff,” Odom recalled of his conversation with Richardson. “He was telling me that they take the offer process really slowly. He was gonna give me a call later (last) week, so hopefully it’s good news. He was just telling me that they were glad to have me down.”

According to Odom, Richardson said that he was an offer-worthy prospect.

“Hopefully they will offer soon, though, I would really love it,” he said regarding a potential offer from Clemson. “Just knowing how they treat the players outside of football… Just knowing I can be in an environment like that, especially during gamedays with the crowd. A place like Death Valley is just crazy.”

Tigers making a move with 5-star linebacker

It’s no longer a secret that Clemson is one of the favorite schools of Jadon Perlotte.

The class of 2025 five-star linebacker out of Buford (Ga.) recently made his first-ever gameday visit to Death Valley for Clemson’s top-10 showdown against NC State.

“It was great,” Perlotte recently told The Clemson Insider regarding his visit. “That’s the most fans I’ve ever seen and we got to run down the hill. I didn’t see any open spots.”

Perlotte said that he has a great relationship with most of Clemson’s staff and spent a lot of time around the Tigers’ defensive assiatnts before and after last Saturday’s game.

What is it about Clemson that appeals to a prospect like Perlotte?

“The culture,” he said. “I sit in there and listen for hours, listening to Coach Dabo preach about the system and how they do things differently. They’re a family team and that’s all they care about is the person beside them. That’s what I pay attention to.”

Perlotte said that his mom has been helping him plan recruiting trips and that she really loves Clemson, so he probably has to make it to three more games or so down there.

Right now, Perlotte is patiently waiting for an offer, one that he’s hopeful will come sooner than later.

5-star OL, nation’s top-ranked ’25 prospect high on the Tigers

Clemson recently played host to the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 class regardless of position, per multiple recruiting services.

Providence Day School (Charlotte, N.C.) five-star offensive lineman David Sanders Jr. attended the Tigers’ 30-20 victory over NC State at Death Valley on Oct. 1.

It wasn’t his first time in Tiger Town, as he visited twice in the spring. However, it was Sanders’ first gameday visit to Clemson, and he detailed his experience in a recent interview with The Clemson Insider.

We’ll publish our full story from the interview with Sanders in the morning, but here’s some of what the 6-foot-7, 250-pound sophomore had to say about the visit:

“The Clemson game, that was definitely a big game for me. I enjoyed myself a lot. The atmosphere with them playing NC State – it was a top-10 matchup – was really cool. That was a really cool experience. I got to experience the new LED lights in the stadium and the new scoreboard. Those two additions to the stadium really made the experience more fun.

“But overall, I had a great time. When I got to the stadium, I was able to meet all the coaches and all the players, too. … Then also they let us go to the top of the hill for the pregame for them to run down the hill. That was definitely the coolest experience ever, just to experience how steep that hill really is, because I always hear it’s steeper than it looks. … So, I enjoyed that a lot, and just the experience overall – the atmosphere, the fans, the facility – it was really cool. So, I enjoyed the whole thing.”

Sanders made the trip to Tiger Town with his parents, and he said “they enjoyed it a lot,” particularly the family atmosphere. For Sanders personally, it was the atmosphere and coaching staff that stood out to him the most.

The Tigers typically don’t offer prospects until the summer before their junior year, so according to Sanders, the coaches told him to stay patient and “trust the process” with them – “just do what you’ve got to do in the classroom and on the field and just keep being who I am,” he said.

Sanders said he has also been to South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and East Carolina recently. He’s looking to check out NC State and Georgia before season’s end but doesn’t have any visits scheduled as of now.

He intends to return to Clemson this offseason, and perhaps even again this season, in order to further his relationship with head coach Dabo Swinney and offensive line coach Thomas Austin.

As for where Clemson stands with Sanders right now, the Tigers have certainly made a strong early impression.

“Clemson’s definitely one of my favorite schools, for sure,” he said.

In-state OL target impressed by ‘amazing’ Death Valley atmosphere

Another big-time offensive line prospect from the Carolinas who took in the clash between Clemson and NC State is Josiah Thompson, a four-star tackle in the 2024 class from Dillon (S.C.) High School.

The 6-foot-6, 280-pound junior traveled to campus with his parents and little brother.

It was the family’s first time attending a game at Death Valley.

“The atmosphere was amazing,” Thompson told The Clemson Insider, “and it’s awesome to see how much the fans have love towards the players and team.”

Thompson visited Georgia for its game vs. Auburn this past Saturday and is set to be in Knoxville for Tennessee’s game against Alabama this Saturday.

We asked Thompson – who received an offer from Clemson back in June – where the Tigers stand with him right now following the visit, and he said, “I can see myself playing for the Clemson Tigers.”

Thompson is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Palmetto State for the 2024 class by 247Sports, while he is ranked as high as the No. 71 overall prospect in his class by the 247Sports Composite.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

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!

Top Clemson CB target announces top teams, sets commitment date

One of Clemson’s top defensive back targets in the class of 2024 dropped his final five schools on Sunday afternoon via social media. Carrollwood Day (Tampa, Fla.) four-star Tavoy Feagin is down to Clemson, Alabama, Miami, LSU and Florida State. …

One of Clemson’s top defensive back targets in the class of 2024 dropped his final five schools on Sunday afternoon via social media.

Carrollwood Day (Tampa, Fla.) four-star Tavoy Feagin is down to Clemson, Alabama, Miami, LSU and Florida State. Feagin also announced a commitment date of Nov. 20.

Coming out of last Saturday’s visit, Clemson appears to be in a great spot with the priority cornerback target.

“This visit really just made Clemson even better,” Feagin told The Clemson Insider recently. “They’re already a place I can call home and this visit really put a cherry on the top.”

Feagin told TCI he hopes to return to Clemson for the Miami game on Nov. 19.

He is ranked as a top-100 national prospect in the 2024 class, regardless of position, by both 247Sports (No. 73) and Rivals (No. 98)

Standout QB enjoyed ‘electric’ atmosphere during first visit to Death Valley

After camping at Clemson during the summer, a talented young signal-caller from the Peach State returned to Tiger Town last weekend. Cass High School (Cartersville, Ga.)’s Brodie McWhorter – a standout quarterback in the class of 2026 – made his …

After camping at Clemson during the summer, a talented young signal-caller from the Peach State returned to Tiger Town last weekend.

Cass High School (Cartersville, Ga.)’s Brodie McWhorter – a standout quarterback in the class of 2026 – made his first-ever gameday visit to Death Valley for Clemson’s top-10 showdown against NC State last Saturday night, a 30-20 victory for the Tigers over the Wolfpack.

“The visit went great,” he told The Clemson Insider. “The highlight to my visit was the atmosphere, it was electric! This was my first visit to Death Valley.”

McWhorter traveled to Clemson with his parents, brother and sister, as well as his teammate Devin Henderson, an athlete in the class of 2024.

“They enjoyed it very much!” McWhorter said.

A 6-foot-1, 180-pound freshman, McWhorter spoke with a couple of Clemson’s coaches while on campus, including Tyler Grisham.

“He didn’t believe that I was only a freshman because of my size,” McWhorter said of Grisham, “and told me to keep working.”

Clemson is among a number of Power Five programs already showing early interest in McWhorter, who is the starting quarterback for his school’s varsity team in his first year of high school.

“I know Clemson has interest in me but Coach Swinney doesn’t offer freshmen and sophomores, so I totally understand,” he said. “I’m also getting interest from Ohio State, Georgia, Florida State, Tennessee and other schools right now.”

McWhorter undoubtedly has high interest in Dabo Swinney’s program.

“What stands out the most to me about Clemson’s program is the love that Coach Swinney has for his players,” he said. “An offer from the Tigers would be very special!”

McWhorter participated in the Swinney Camp from June 10-12 and spoke highly of his Clemson camp experience, as well as the coaching he received from both Swinney and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter.

“The camp went great,” McWhorter told TCI. “The thing that stood out to me the most was the love from Coach Swinney and Coach Streeter.”

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

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!