Tag: clemson football recruiting

Local OL target, mother enjoy Clemson gameday visit

Among the many top prospects in attendance for Clemson’s top-10 win over NC State on Saturday night was this priority local offensive line target. Greenville (S.C.) High School four-star Blake Franks took an unofficial visit to Death Valley for the …

Among the many top prospects in attendance for Clemson’s top-10 win over NC State on Saturday night was this priority local offensive line target.

Greenville (S.C.) High School four-star Blake Franks took an unofficial visit to Death Valley for the Tigers’ 30-20 victory over the Wolfpack.

“The visit was great,” he told The Clemson Insider. “I really enjoyed the energy of the crowd and the run down the hill.”

Franks, a 6-foot-5, 310-pound junior in the class of 2024, made the short trip to Tiger Town with his mother.

“She enjoyed the crowd,” Franks said of his mom’s visit experience. “She also loved the distance from home.”

What did they hear from Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney while on campus?

“Coach Swinney talked about the program and how much he loves being there personally,” Franks said.

Franks, who participated in the Swinney Camp this past summer and has visited Clemson multiple times since this past March, received an offer from the Tigers in late July.

He holds more than a dozen scholarship offers in total, including offers from schools such as Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Penn State and South Carolina along with Clemson.

Where do the Tigers stand with Franks in his recruitment following Saturday’s game-day visit to campus?

“I would say that I know Clemson is in my top eight,” he said, “and they might even be in my top five.”

Up next for Franks are visits to Alabama (Oct. 8), Florida (Oct. 15) and Florida State (Oct. 29).

Clemson will get at least one more visit from him before season’s end.

“I know I’ll be there for Clemson vs. USC (on Nov. 26),” he said, “but I don’t know, I might be back sooner than that.”

Franks is rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals, which considers him the No. 4 prospect in the Palmetto State and No. 8 offensive guard nationally for the 2024 class.

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‘Nothing’s been like it’: Lone Star State tight end enjoys first Clemson gameday experience

Among one of the more notable recruits that were in attendance for Clemson’s top-1o showdown against NC State on Saturday. Oct. 1, was Taylor (Katy, Texas) three-star tight end Ian Flynt. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound junior in the class of 2024 caught up …

Among one of the more notable recruits that were in attendance for Clemson’s top-1o showdown against NC State on Saturday. Oct. 1, was Taylor (Katy, Texas) three-star tight end Ian Flynt.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound junior in the class of 2024 caught up with The Clemson Insider regarding his time in The Valley on Saturday.

“I enjoyed a lot of it,” Flynt said regarding his time at Clemson Saturday. “I spent a lot of time learning from Coach (Kyle) Richardson and Coach (John) Grass, mainly just hitting on some points on the program and how Coach Swinney runs everything. It was all positive from there.”

“I’ve been to a lot of places, but they’ve got quite the facilities,” he added. “I’ve been to a couple of schools and nothing’s been like it. The tailgating was absolutely crazy. They had people tailgating on every square inch of campus. I could tell how full the stadium was.”

That wasn’t the only thing that grabbed Flynt’s attention. The energy from Clemson’s sold-out crowd at Memorial Stadium Saturday was palpable. It was like nothing that he’s ever experienced before. 

“That was awesome,” he said of the atmosphere in Death Valley. “I really enjoyed the running down the hill. It was super energetic. That was one of my favorite parts. But, the energy from the whole crowd was crazy. The stadium was moving. I’ve never seen so many people lined up behind one time.”

During Clemson’s 10-point victory, Flynt got to see just how Richardson and Brandon Streeter utilized the right end position. Jake Briningstool and Davis Allen combined for nine catches with 75 yards and a touchdown.

It was a good game for a tight end prospect with interest in Clemson, to be at.

“They use them the way I think a tight end should run,” Flynt said. “They’re heavy in the box and they got them out in the open a couple of times and they made a big difference in that game.”

Flynt said that Richardson made it very clear that Clemson was interested in him as a prospect. 

“They told me that the relationship is what they’re trying to form right now and they want to see me in person,” he said. “I enjoy that because it helps them, but it also helps me. I get a lot from it. I get to learn what kind of coach Dabo is and the same thing with Coach Richardson. It’s only gonna be good for both of us.”

What would it mean for Flynt and his recruitment if Clemson presented him with a future scholarship offer?

“That would be awesome,” Flynt said. “Clemson, I’ve always looked up to that school. I grew up watching Deshaun (Watson) and Trevor Lawrence win championships and they run the tight end pretty well.”

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Father of 5-star QB reacts to Clemson visit

The father of a five-star quarterback prospect took to social media Sunday with a reaction to his son’s Clemson visit on Saturday for the NC State game. Jeremiah Davis, the dad of Providence Day School (Charlotte, N.C.) five-star quarterback Jadyn …

The father of a five-star quarterback prospect took to social media Sunday with a reaction to his son’s Clemson visit on Saturday for the NC State game.

Jeremiah Davis, the dad of Providence Day School (Charlotte, N.C.) five-star quarterback Jadyn Davis, is clearly impressed by Clemson and the time Jadyn has spent around Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei.

“Clemson has always been a special place,” Jeremiah wrote on Twitter. “Thank you DJ for being a great mentor to my son and showing him how to deal with adversity the right way!”

Jadyn, who received an offer from Clemson back on June 1, is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the state of North Carolina, No. 4 quarterback nationally and No. 20 overall prospect in the class of 2024 according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Jadyn also commented on his Clemson visit via Twitter:

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5-star, one of nation’s top ranked QBs will be in The Valley tonight

A five-star prospect and one of the nation’s top-ranked quarterback prospects in the class of 2024 is set to return to Clemson Saturday night. Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day School’s Jadyn Davis announced via social media Saturday morning that he …

A five-star prospect and one of the nation’s top-ranked quarterback prospects in the class of 2024 is set to return to Clemson Saturday night.

Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day School’s Jadyn Davis announced via social media Saturday morning that he will be in The Valley for tonight’s game against N.C. State at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Staidum.

This will be Davis’ first visit to Clemson since he participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp this summer and picked up the offer he had been waiting on.

The Clemson Insider spoke with Davis at the Elite 11 Regional in Atlanta at Carrollton High School, back on Sunday, April 3. It was then that Davis recapped his latest visit to Clemson, which took place on Saturday, March 12. It was his first time back on campus, since he was in attendance for Clemson’s 48-27 win over Wake Forest on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, at Memorial Stadium.

“It was great,” Davis said, “just always talking to Coach (Brandon) Streeter. He didn’t leave my side one bit. I got to go there with my new high school head coach (Chad Grier). Me and D.J. (Uiagalelei) have a really good relationship, so seeing him again, just always building chemistry and connection with the guys and just building a relationship with the coaches.”

In-state receiver recaps ‘amazing’ gameday visit to Clemson, says there’s not atmosphere like Death Valley

An in-state receiver prospect, garnering interest from several FBS programs, made his first-ever gameday visit as a recruit to Clemson for the Tigers’ 35-12 win over Furman on Saturday, Sept. 10. Mac McLean wasn’t sure what his first experience at …

An in-state receiver prospect, garnering interest from several FBS programs, made his first-ever gameday visit as a recruit to Clemson for the Tigers’ 35-12 win over Furman on Saturday, Sept. 10.

Mac McLean wasn’t sure what his first experience at Death Valley as a recruit would be like, but the 6-foot-2, 190-pound junior in the class of 2024 from Greenville (S.C.) High School certainly wasn’t disappointed.

“It’s a whole different perspective from being a fan,” McLean recently told The Clemson Insider. “I got to see everything the football team went through preparing for the game, and after the game, celebrating in the locker room. Just hearing Coach (Dabo) Swinney talk to the team after the game was pretty cool.”

“It was amazing,” he added of his experience. “Probably talking to Coach (Tyler) Grisham (was the highlight of my experience). Right when I got there, he was actually across the street at his office. Within three minutes, he was over there and he came right up to me and talked to me and my dad. It was great.”

Clemson’s wide receivers coach chatted with McLean about his junior season, which is his first significant run time with Greenville’s varsity team. 

“I feel like I’ve done pretty good,” he said. “I’m just trying to do my part, going wherever the coaches need me. I can play inside, and outside on both sides and know the routes for all the plays…Wherever they need a body, they can put me.”

Grisham has been communicating with McLean since the calendar turned to Sept. 1, when college coaches across the country could begin directly contacting junior prospects in the class of 2024.

“It was amazing,” McLean began when asked about Grisham reaching out on Sept. 1. “I’m gonna be honest, I did not stay up until midnight on Sept. 1, but I woke up the next morning and saw that I got a text from him at 12:20. I was very excited.”

In addition to Clemson, McLean has been in contact with schools like Virginia Tech, Florida, Furman and Citadel. He also attended Clemson’s 51-45 double overtime win over Wake Forest in Winston-Salem this past Saturday.

It made McLean realize just how special his experience at Clemson was.

“I realized there is not a gameday atmosphere like Clemson,” he said.

He’s hoping to get back to Clemson and also make visits to both Virginia Tech and Florida. McLean said that he’ll definitely try to get back for Clemson’s game against Syracuse on Oct. 22 or its matchup against the University of Miami on Nov. 19.

Circling back to the Furman game, McLean was paying a lot of attention to the offensive side of the football, not just because he’s an offensive player himself, but his former teammates Collin Sadler and Josh Sapp are both now at Clemson.

“I was really impressed with their offense,” McLean said. “We got to go in their locker room after the game and Dabo was talking about how D.J. (Uiagalelei) had the highest passing rating and (Will) Shipley had a couple of touchdowns, the receivers and everybody did great.”

McLean admitted that getting to be in the locker room postgame was probably the second best part of his first Clemson gameday experience as a recruit.

Photo for this article courtesy Mac McLean.

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Star-studded visitors headed to Death Valley for Clemson-N.C. State game

Clemson will again play host to some top prospects for Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. game against N.C. State at Death Valley. Here are some of the bigger names The Clemson Insider has confirmed as planned visitors for the Clemson-N.C. State game: A couple of …

Clemson will again play host to some top prospects for Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. game against N.C. State at Death Valley.

Here are some of the bigger names The Clemson Insider has confirmed as planned visitors for the Clemson-N.C. State game:

A couple of headliners among the recruits expected to be in attendance are a handful of five-stars in the 2024 and 2025 class, respectively. Jefferson (Ga.) linebacker Sammy Brown, Buford (Ga.) athlete KJ Bolden, Buford (Ga.) linebacker Jadon Perlotte and Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day School offensive tackle David Sanders, Jr.

Sanders is the No. 1 overall player in the 2025 class, per 247Sports, which tabs Bolden and Brown as the No. 1 safety and No. 1 linebacker, respectively, in the 2024 class. 

Clemson, of course, doesn’t offer recruits as young as Sanders, per the program’s policy. But the elite o-line prospect would love to add Clemson to his offer list in the future.

“That offer would mean the world to me,” he told The Clemson Insider back in May. “Clemson is definitely one of the schools that I like the most. So, that offer would mean the world. Knowing the coaches and them knowing my family, that just means even more. And then getting back down there and building that relationship with Coach Swinney and Coach Austin, it would just be great.”

Saturday will be of relative importance for Clemson offensive line coach Thomas Austin, as Clemson is set to host two of the Palmetto State’s top prospects in Woodland (Dorchester, S.C.) four-star offensive tackle Kam Pringle and Dillon (S.C.) four-star offensive tackle Josiah Thompson.

The 247Sports Composite considers Pringle and Thompson to be interchangeable Nos. 1 and 2 in the rankings.

Additionally, Greenville (S.C.) High School four-star Blake Franks is planning to attend Saturday’s game. Franks (6-5, 310) participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp this summer and visited Clemson multiple times since this past March. He received an offer from Clemson in late July.

He has heard from Clemson offensive line coach Thomas Austin and other members of the Tigers’ staff since the calendar turned to Sept. 1, when college coaches across the country could begin directly contacting junior prospects in the class of 2024.

“He (Austin) told me I’m a big priority,” Franks said to TCI recently, “and that he’s going to come to one of our games this year.”

Franks holds more than a dozen scholarship offers, including offers from schools such as Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Penn State and South Carolina along with Clemson.

He told TCI earlier this month that while he didn’t know at the time which schools comprise his top five, he definitely thinks Clemson “is high up there” on his list.

Perhaps the most intriguing prospect on the offensive side of the football that will be in The Valley this Saturday is Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day School 2024 four-star quarterback Jake Merklinger. 

The top-100 national recruit and the No. 9 ranked quarterback in the 2024 class per the 247Sports Composite rankings, has made three trips to Clemson in the last calendar year. While he hasn’t yet boasted an offer from the Tigers, he is firmly on their radar and moved up their recruiting board after his performance at Swinney Camp earlier this summer.

A couple of big-time receiver prospects are expected to be on hand as well in Burlington (N.C.) Hugh M. Cummings four-star Jonathan Paylor, Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.) four-star Alex Taylor,  Cass (Cartersville, Ga.) four-star Sacovie White and King George (Va.) three-star Mekhai White.

The Clemson Insider originally reported that Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas four-star James Madison II would be in attendance, but his status for Saturday’s game is currently unknown with Hurricane Ian lashing through Florida.

Clemson will also play host to Perry (Ga.) Dakari Anderson, an intriguing receiver prospect in the class of 2024, holds a lone offer from Texas A&M. 

Carrollton (Ga.) 2024 four-star tight end Caleb Odom announced that he will be in The Valley this weekend. Odom, who is considered to be a top-15 tight end in his class by the 247Sports Composite rankings, told The Clemson Insider back in August that he had been invited to some camps, but there was no hard interest from the Tigers just yet.

That appears to have changed as Odom, who will be at Saturday’s contest versus N.C. State, said that this weekend is “gonna be crazy.”

Switching over to the defensive side of the football, one of the top defensive back prospects planning to visit Clemson for Saturday’s game is Tavoy Feagin, a four-star cornerback from Carrollwood Day School in Tampa, Fla.

Feagin, a 6-foot, 170-pound junior, was the first player at his position to receive an offer from Clemson when the Tigers began dispensing offers to class of 2024 recruits back on June 1.

After traveling to Clemson for an unofficial visit in early March, Feagin made his way back to campus on June 2. Later in June, he included the Tigers among his top 10 schools, along with Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, North Carolina, Ohio State and Oklahoma.

“The reason why I put Clemson in my top 10 was because I really like the coaching staff and the atmosphere,” he said to TCI after dropping the list.

Feagin is ranked as high as the No. 73 overall prospect in the 2024 class by 247Sports.

The other top defensive back prospect that will be in attendance is Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith four-star cornerback Asaad Brown.

Brown — ranked as the nation’s No. 9 cornerback and No. 116 overall prospect in the class of 2024 by 247Sports — dropped a top-10 list earlier this month featuring Clemson along with Arkansas, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, LSU, Florida State, North Carolina, NC State and Penn State.

Among other notable recruits on Clemson’s anticipated guest list for Saturday’s game are Central (S.C.) D W Daniel 2023 wide receiver Jaylen Brown-Wallace, Lawrenceville (Ga.) 2024 four-star defensive lineman Justin Greene, Buford (Ga.) 2024 four-star defensive end KingJoseph Edwards, Chattanooga (Tenn.) Christian School 2024 four-star athlete Boo Carter, Pike Road (Ala.) 2024 four-star defensive lineman Malik Blocton, Taylor (Katy, TX.) 2024 three-star tight end Ian Flynt, Ponte Vedra (Fla.) 2024 three-star offensive lineman Jake Guarnera, Hough (Cornelius, N.C.) kicker Nolan Hauser, Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.) 2024 RB Turbo Richard, Lynchburg (Va.) Liberty Christian Academy 2025 four-star running back Gideon Davidson, 2025 Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Georgia) School 2025 tight end Marshall Pritchett, Buford (Ga.) 2026 defensive lineman Bryce Perry-Wright and Cass (Cartersville, Ga.) 2026 quarterback Brodie McWhorter.

Clemson 2023 quarterback commitment Christopher Vizzina of Birmingham (Ala.) Briarwood Christin School, offensive line commit Harris Sewell of Permian (Odessa, TX.), defensive end commit AJ Hoffler of College Park (Ga.) Woodward Academy, linebacker commit Jamal Anderson of Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek and offensive line commit Ian Reed of Vandegrift (Austin, TX.) will also be in The Valley on Saturday.

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

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First Clemson gameday visit going to be hard to top for rising Alabama lineman

A fast-rising offensive lineman from the Yellowhammer State traveled to Tiger Town for an unofficial visit earlier this month. Daphne (Ala.) Bayside Academy junior Graham Uter – a 6-foot-5, 275-pound prospect in the class of 2024 – made his way to …

A fast-rising offensive lineman from the Yellowhammer State traveled to Tiger Town for an unofficial visit earlier this month.

Daphne (Ala.) Bayside Academy junior Graham Uter — a 6-foot-5, 275-pound prospect in the class of 2024 — made his way to Clemson for the Louisiana Tech game on Saturday, Sept. 17.

“It was really cool to get to meet all the coaches,” Uter told The Clemson Insider in a phone interview recently. “Especially getting to know Coach (Thomas) Austin and Coach (Brandon) Thomas more. The facilities were really cool. It’s probably one of the best facilities I’ve ever seen. The campus was awesome.”

Uter got to eat a pregame meal with Clemson’s offensive line coach and Thomas, who is currently a graduate assistant on Dabo Swinney’s staff. Uter said that they discussed his recruiting stage, how it’s all going to work from here on out and what they’re recruiting him for. 

“For sure,” Uter said when asked if he felt like he strengthened his relationship with Clemson’s staff. “I got to have pretty long conversations with them during the pregame time. Coach Brandon Thomas actually took me around on a tour of the facilities and we met up with Coach Austin.”

According to Uter, both Austin and Thomas showed him how they run the offensive linemen at Clemson. He got to know both coaches pretty well and even got to meet Austin’s kids and his family, which Uter said was “pretty cool.”

Following the pregame festivities with the coaching staff, Uter finally got to experience his first college football game day visit.

“It’s cool to see how the fans all love Clemson,” Uter said of the gameday atmosphere in The Valley. “They’re all fans and nice people up there. It was cool to see how the players, whenever they were warming up, how locked in and focused they were. How important it is to all these coaches — they were all getting hyped and getting their players ready to play.”

Needless to say, his first experience in The Valley set the bar relatively high. 

“I feel like it’s gonna be hard to top that,” he said. “That was one of the cooler experiences in my life. I definitely want to go back this spring and tour the campus more. That would be cool.”

As far as other visits are concerned, Uter is trying to line up gameday visits to Troy and UAB, but right now, he’s focused on Friday nights and an important junior season

“It’s pretty much more local stuff,” Uter said in regards to taking potential visits. “Clemson’s just one of my favorite schools that I’ve been to. It’s an immediate yes whenever they ask me to come for a game day visit.”

Uter feels like he’s “definitely” on Clemson’s recruiting board and that the Tigers will continue to evaluate him as he continues to progress throughout his junior season.

“They told me that if I get some good game film out and I keep doing what they want to see, they’re gonna get me back up there in the spring and I’ll come around the campus on the golf cart and stuff like that,” he said. “That’s what Coach Thomas Austin told me.”

Since Sept. 1, Uter has heard from programs like Troy, UAB and Memphis, in addition to Clemson. He mentioned that a couple of other schools have called his head coach and notified him that they would be recruiting Uter going forward.

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 very impressed by first gameday visit to Clemson

An in-state offensive lineman, garnering interest from several FBS programs, made his first-ever gameday visit to Clemson for the Tigers’ 48-20 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday, Sept. 17. Steven O’Dell wasn’t sure what the experience at Death …

An in-state offensive lineman, garnering interest from several FBS programs, made his first-ever gameday visit to Clemson for the Tigers’ 48-20 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday, Sept. 17.

Steven O’Dell wasn’t sure what the experience at Death Valley would be like, but the 6-foot-6, 290-pound junior from Broome High School (Spartanburg, S.C.) certainly wasn’t disappointed.

“I loved the visit. It went great,” he told The Clemson Insider. “I had never been to a Clemson game before, so I didn’t know what to expect. It was one of the craziest game atmospheres I’ve ever been in.”

O’Dell, who participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp back on June 1, said the highlight of the gameday visit was getting to speak with Clemson coaches in person again – as well as being able to go into the locker room following the Tigers’ victory over the Bulldogs.

“Everybody was getting hype and the energy was crazy,” he said. “We also got to listen to Coach Swinney’s postgame speech, which was cool.”

O’Dell had the chance to spend time with a few members of Clemson’s staff while he was on campus, including offensive line coach Thomas Austin.

“I got to talk with Coach Austin and the two assistant OL coaches,” he said. “We got to talk about how the season has been going for them and for me.”

“I feel like Clemson likes me and will continue to keep recruiting me,” O’Dell added.

Along with Clemson, O’Dell said he’s drawing interest from UNC Charlotte, Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Middle Tennessee and Wofford.

The class of 2024 prospect, who has a family tie to Clemson, is keeping his fingers crossed for a potential future offer from the Tigers.

“I always kept up with Clemson while I was younger. My great grandpa went there,” he said. “It would be such an honor to receive an offer from Clemson. That’s pretty much as big time as you can get.”

O’Dell visited UNC Charlotte the weekend before his Clemson visit and went to App State this past weekend. He is set to visit Coastal Carolina this weekend.

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 commit’s teammate reports offer from the Tigers

A four-star prospect from the Peach State and teammate of a Clemson commit announced an offer from the Tigers via social media Wednesday night. Eagles Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) offensive lineman DJ Chester reported the offer on …

A four-star prospect from the Peach State and teammate of a Clemson commit announced an offer from the Tigers via social media Wednesday night.

Eagles Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) offensive lineman DJ Chester reported the offer on Twitter.

Chester is a teammate of Clemson four-star offensive line commit Zechariah Owens.

The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Chester is ranked as high as the No. 51 overall prospect in the 2023 class by 247Sports, which considers him the No. 6 offensive tackle and No. 4 prospect in the state of Georgia for his class.

–Photo courtesy of DJ Chester on Twitter (@DJChester6)

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!

Talented Peach State DL ‘loved everything’ about Clemson visit

A talented defensive lineman from the Peach State traveled to Tiger Town for an unofficial visit earlier this month. Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School (Georgia) sophomore Terry Nwabuisi Ezeala – a 6-foot-2, 305-pound prospect in the class of 2025 – made …

A talented defensive lineman from the Peach State traveled to Tiger Town for an unofficial visit earlier this month.

Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School (Georgia) sophomore Terry Nwabuisi Ezeala — a 6-foot-2, 305-pound prospect in the class of 2025 — made his way to Clemson for the Louisiana Tech game on Saturday, Sept. 17.

“I mean, it was awesome,” Ezeala told The Clemson Insider in a phone interview recently. “I loved the atmosphere. I loved everything. I mean, the crowd was very nice. The players after the game, they were all turned up. It was very fun to watch.”

“It was very special,” he added of the atmosphere.

Ezeala said that he was able to chat a bit with defensive tackles coach Nick Eason, who coached him up earlier this summer at the Dabo Swinney Camp.

“I had a lot of fun with Coach Eason,” Ezeala said. “He’s a great coach. He taught me some new moves and where I should keep my pad level. It’s really helped me with the season.”

He gave large praise for the speech that Clemson coach Dabo Swinney delivered after Clemson’s 28-point victory over La. Tech.  Ezeala described what he heard in the locker room postgame as inspiring

He was also inspired by the play of Ruke Orhorhoro, who hails from Nigeria.

“Number 33, he was a dog,” Ezeala said. “He just played crazy. I love to see him play.”

While Ezeala was born in Germany, his parents are also from Nigeria. He moved from Germany to the United States just about three years ago. He didn’t pick up football until he moved across the globe, but has played competitively since his freshman year of high school.

Even though Ezeala didn’t spend his formative years in West Africa like Orhorhoro, he found it pretty cool to be seeing a fellow Nigerian living out his dreams. The goal is obviously to play at the next level, so seeing someone like Orhorhoro dominate the interior in place of a then-injured Tyler Davis, was pretty special to Ezeala.

As far as visits to other schools are concerned, Ezeala estimates that he’ll likely take trips to both Coastal Carolina and Kentucky. It also sounds like another trip up to Clemson could be in the cards for Ezeala and some of his Rabun Gap teammates.

He said that he “for sure” can’t wait to get back up to Clemson after what he experienced a couple of weekends ago.

“Clemson’s a great program,” he said when asked about his overall impression of the school. “I can see myself playing there. I love everything about Clemson.”

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!