Tag: ian reed

Clemson lands priority commitment from Peach State lineman

As expected, Clemson just landed a big-time commitment from a four-star tackle.

Clemson just picked up a big-time commitment from a priority 2023 offensive lineman.

Four-star tackle Zechariah Owens took to Instagram on Monday to announce that he is committing to Clemson, choosing the Tigers over Alabama and Penn State.

Owens is the No. 16 tackle and the No. 169 overall prospect, according to 247Sports Composite rankings. Before trimming his list down to his three finalists, Owens held offers from 24 schools, including Georgia, Florida State and South Carolina.

Although it didn’t become official until Monday, Owens’ pledge to the Tigers isn’t shocking, as nine 247Sports insiders and writers crystal balled the 6-foot-7, 350-pound Owens to choose Clemson.

Owens joins four-star interior offensive lineman Harris Sewell, and four-star tackle Ian Reed as the Tigers’ three offensive line verbal commits. With Owens’ announcement, Clemson now has 16 pledges in its 2023 class, which is No. 4 in the nation according to 247Sports rankings.

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Clemson lands big-time commitment from four-star lineman

Clemson just landed a massive commitment from a Lone Star State standout who is the Tigers’ second offensive line prospect in their 2023 class.

After a week-long lull of no commitments, Clemson just added another highly-rated recruit to its 2023 class.

A Texas resident, four-star interior offensive lineman Harris Sewell took to Twitter on Wednesday to announce that he has verbally committed to Clemson. Sewell had 23 offers and chose the Tigers over his other finalists —Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M.

“Coach Swinney, Coach Austin, and the Clemson Staff—Thank you! You have given me the chance of a lifetime. I commit to you and your team all I have and all I can become!” Sewell wrote.

According to 247Sports Composite rankings, Sewell is the No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the nation and the No. 72 overall prospect.

Playing for Permian High School (Odessa, Texas), the 6-foot-4, 290-pound Sewell was a 2-6A unanimous first-team all-district selection as a junior in 2021.

Here’s what 247Sports’ recruiting analyst Gabe Brooks had to say about Sewell.

Requisite height with above-average length relative to interior O-line projection. Broad, burly build with virtually college-ready size, but wears mass well and can fit more bulk as needed.

Offers extremely valuable roster versatility given experience at center and guard. Tone setter in the run game thanks to size, strength, and field demeanor. Run-game mauler who often overwhelms defenders at the point of attack.

With Sewell’s announcement, Clemson has now landed 12 commitments in June and has two offensive line prospects in its 2023 class, the other being four-star tackle Ian Reed.

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Massive Clemson offensive line target sets commitment date

After two 247Sports insiders crystal balled him to Clemson, a four-star offensive lineman has set his commitment date.

One of Clemson’s offensive line targets has set his commitment date.

Four-star interior offensive lineman Harris Sewell announced on Twitter on Monday that he will commit on Wednesday at 1 p.m. EDT, choosing between Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M. According to 247Sports Composite, Sewell is the No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the nation and the No. 72 overall prospect.

Sewell has been crystal balled to Clemson by two 247Sports Clemson insiders and officially visited Clemson on June 3.

Playing for Permian High School in Odessa, Texas, the 6-foot-4, 290-pound Sewell was a 2-6A unanimous first-team all-district selection as a junior in 2021.

If Sewell does choose the Tigers, he would be Clemson’s second offensive line commit alongside four-star tackle Ian Reed. Sewell was one of four 2023 prospects that ClemsonWire had its radar on for potential commitments in the coming weeks.

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Five-star defensive lineman puts Clemson in top four, sets commitment date

After jumping up to a top-10 2023 recruiting class, Clemson is one of four teams in contention for one of the nation’s top-25 recruits.

Clemson is still in contention for one of the nation’s top 2023 recruits.

According to On3, five-star defensive lineman Peter Woods has set his commitment date for July 8 at 6:45 p.m. EDT and will choose between Clemson, Alabama, Florida and Jackson State. 247Sports Composite ranks the 6-foot-4, 265-pound Woods as the No. 3 defensive lineman and the No. 23 overall recruit in the nation.

In his junior season in 2021, Woods racked up 92 total tackles (26 for loss), 11 sacks, two pass breakups and one interception. With his production and five-star rating, Woods has been a highly sought-after recruit. Before trimming his list down to four teams, Woods had 35 total offers, many of which were from other top programs like Oklahoma and Georgia.

“Clemson has everything on their campus for a student athlete to be successful on and off the field,” Woods said to On3. “The culture coach Swinney brings is unmatched.”

As for Clemson’s recruitment of Woods, he was one of 30 recruits that officially visited Clemson on June 3. Four of the 30 who officially visited on June 3 have committed since then, including four-star offensive tackle Ian Reed and four-star linebacker Jamal Anderson.

As of Tuesday, Clemson has 10 verbal commitments in its 2023 class, which has risen to No. 8 in the nation in 247Sports’ recruiting rankings. If Woods chooses Clemson in July, he would be the Tigers’ highest-ranked commit, edging out five-star quarterback Christopher Vizzina.

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Clemson recruiting weekend wrap-up

Clemson’s first-ever June official visit weekend starting to pay off

Clemson is coming off of a big weekend on the recruiting front. Following the first weekend of June official visits in the Dabo Swinney era, the Tigers have since gained favorable ground with some big-time recruits as well as garnering three new class of 2023 commitments as of Tuesday afternoon. Here is what we know.

According to Steve Wiltfong from 247Sports.com, Clemson has caught the eye of at least nine recruits who took official visits last weekend including, but not limited to: tight end Marcus Dixon, offensive lineman Conner Lew, wide receivers Ahmaud Brown and Ronan Hanafin, cornerback Damari Brown, linebacker Jamal Anderson and defensive linemen AJ Hoffler, T.J. Searcy, and Darron Reed.

Several other 2023 recruits have since listed Clemson as a finalist including four-star wide receiver Noble Brown, four-star safety Derek Williams, four-star edge defender Colton Vasek, and cornerback Damari Brown.

The Tigers picked up three more verbal commitments Monday and Tuesday following the official visit weekend. Four-star cornerback Avieon Terrell, former Tiger A.J. Terrell’s brother, announced his verbal commitment to Clemson on Monday while four-star offensive lineman Ian Reed and three-star tight end Olson Patt Henry shared their decisions to join the Tigers on Tuesday.

With the additions of Reed, Terrell, and Henry to the 2023 Class this week, Clemson now has seven recruits verbally committed including quarterback Christopher Vizzina, receiver Nathaniel Joseph, edge defender David Ojiegbe, and cornerback Branden Strozier.

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‘It was just a match made to be’: Reed details commitment decision with TCI

Ian Reed felt like Clemson was the right pick. And it’s not just because the four-star tackle out of Vandegrift High School (Austin, Texas) is fulfilling a childhood dream. The Tigers seemingly check off all his boxes and have for some time now. …

Ian Reed felt like Clemson was the right pick.

And it’s not just because the four-star tackle out of Vandegrift High School (Austin, Texas) is fulfilling a childhood dream.

The Tigers seemingly check off all his boxes and have for some time now. This past weekend’s official visit only confirmed that for Reed, which culminated in Tuesday’s commitment.

The nation’s No. 22 offensive tackle in the 2023 class per 247Sports, detailed his commitment in an exclusive interview with The Clemson Insider Tuesday night.

“It goes back all the way to my first visit,” Reed said. “When I toured the campus and got to talk to Coach Swinney and Coach Austin the first time I was there, I mean it was already going to be one of the contenders for me. I just felt like they kept staying in touch and they promoted the family and faith aspect with me and it really clicked with me.”

“After taking the OV last week, it just felt like home and that’ll they’ll take care of me,” he continued. “They want to develop me as a man most importantly. They want to create me to be a great person and succeed in life. That’s what’s really important to me and I felt like that was the right place in my heart.”

What stood out to Reed during his one and only official visit?

“Just the way Dabo’s influence and his philosophy of what building his program is about and just the culture he has set there, it’s just unbelievable,” Reed said. “The faith, academics, the football there that he has built is just super family-oriented and that made me really want to commit there.”

While Reed knew Clemson was the place he wanted to be, he waited a day and talked it over with his family. According to Reed, when he informed Swinney and Thomas Austin of his decision on Monday, they were “fired up.”

“It was just a match made to be,” Reed added. “I’ve always dreamed about playing at Clemson since I was a little kid. It’s just a dream come true. It’s just been amazing.”

Where does Clemson see the big-time Lone Star State offensive lineman playing at the next level?

“They envision me playing both tackle spots and both guard spots,” Reed said. “They think I’m very athletic and super strong to play both of those positions. They think I have great length, intelligence, discipline and physicality. They really like me as a person as well. They thought I was a great fit.”

On Tuesday afternoon, Reed became the sixth member of Clemson’s 2023 recruiting class, joining Edison (Miami, Fla.) four-star wide receiver Nathaniel Joseph, Briarwood Christian (Birmingham, Ala.) four-star quarterback Christopher Vizzina, St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.) four-star edge rusher David Ojiegbe and St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star cornerback Branden Strozier and Westlake (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star cornerback Avieon Terrell.

Later Tuesday, First Baptist Academy (Naples, Fla.) four-star tight end Olsen Patt Henry also joined Clemson’s class.

“This is a special group led by Christopher (Vizzina) and he wants to win championships and he wants us to win championships with him,” Reed said. “I’m on board with that. We’re determined and ready to go. I feel like this class will be special.”

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4-star Texas OL ‘super pumped’ for Clemson official visit this weekend

Among the class of 2023 prospects set to officially visit Clemson this weekend is this priority offensive line target from the Lone Star State – Vandegrift High School (Austin, Texas) four-star tackle Ian Reed. The 6-foot-6, 310-pound rising senior …

Among the class of 2023 prospects set to officially visit Clemson this weekend is this priority offensive line target from the Lone Star State – Vandegrift High School (Austin, Texas) four-star tackle Ian Reed.

The 6-foot-6, 310-pound rising senior spoke with The Clemson Insider ahead of the official visit, which begins today and runs through Sunday afternoon.

“I am looking forward to this visit, and I’m super pumped and excited to come see Clemson again,” Reed said. “The main captures I want to get from this OV is building the relationships again and keep building the relationship with the coaching staff, and seeing where they have me on the board and just see what the future is if I do commit to Clemson.”

Reed has been to Clemson once before, when he made an unofficial visit for the April 9 spring game and picked up an offer from Dabo Swinney’s program while on campus.

“I love the campus,” he said. “The campus is amazing. The staff is just awesome, just great people and a great town, great tradition for football. Coach Swinney’s built that program up to an elite level. So, we’re just excited to see where my road ends on the recruiting trail.”

Reed’s father and brother will accompany him to Tiger Town on this weekend’s official visit.

The nation’s No. 22 offensive tackle in the 2023 class per 247Sports, Reed has been communicating with Swinney and Clemson offensive line coach Thomas Austin at least once a week and feels his bond with the coaches has been growing.

“Our relationship is pretty good,” Reed said. “Coach Austin, he’s an awesome guy, awesome coach, great person. He cares about his players and wants to develop them and just wants to make them succeed in life, and that’s pretty cool and that’s what I like about him. I love Coach Swinney, too. Coach Swinney’s a great guy as well, great man, great leader. That whole staff is just amazing.”

On May 1, Reed narrowed down his list of around 30 offers when he released a top 10 featuring Clemson along with Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M and Wisconsin.

Including Clemson, five of those schools are set to get visits from Reed this month. Following the Clemson official visit, he will travel to Wisconsin for an official visit from June 10-12 prior to his Oklahoma State official visit from June 14-16. He will then make an unofficial visit to Alabama from June 17-19 before heading to Texas for an official visit from June 24-26.

Reed is planning to make his commitment in mid-August, right before the start of his senior season.

“I’ll have a pretty good contrast and glimpse of where I want to go before then,” he said.

Several factors will play a prominent role in Reed’s eventual college decision.

“Academics, coaching and player development,” he said, “and just a great locker room, wanting to win championships and compete and wanting to complete the same goals that I have.”

Where does Clemson stand among the contenders in Reed’s recruitment heading into this weekend’s visit?

“I would say top two, top three easily,” he said.

Reed is ranked by 247Sports as the country’s No. 22 offensive tackle and No. 225 overall prospect regardless of position in the 2023 class.

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Top prospects flocking to Tiger Town: Previewing Clemson’s big official visit weekend

Clemson’s big official visit weekend is here. A slew of Clemson’s top targets will be on campus for their official visits this weekend, as the Tigers play host to official visitors in June for the first time under head coach Dabo Swinney. It’s …

Clemson’s big official visit weekend is here.

A slew of Clemson’s top targets will be on campus for their official visits this weekend, as the Tigers play host to official visitors in June for the first time under head coach Dabo Swinney. It’s something they haven’t done in the past, and Swinney recently went in-depth on the change in their official visit policy, explaining that the only prospects being brought in for June official visits are ones who have already been on campus at Clemson in the past for unofficial visits.

TCI has confirmed that more than two dozen prospects in the 2023 class will be making their official visits to Clemson this weekend, including the Tigers’ four commitments.

The official visit weekend runs from today through Sunday, with a casino/game night, Clemson Scavenger Hunt and dinner at Swinney’s house among the highlights on the schedule over the course of the weekend.

As the Tigers get set for the big official visit weekend, The Clemson Insider breaks down the official visitors by position and gives a rundown of the names expected to be on campus this weekend:

Quarterback

Briarwood Christian (Birmingham, Ala.) Christopher Vizzina (committed)

Vizzina committed to Clemson on April 12 over schools like Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Auburn, Ohio State and Georgia.

“It really came down to I went across the country, I went to so many different places and normally a guy from Alabama kind of stays South, doesn’t visit the North and I mean, I went everywhere,” Vizzina said. “And I just kept coming back to Clemson and I kept realizing there’s nowhere else like Clemson.

“I was sold on that. I’ve been building these relationships with the coaches forever now. I mean really a couple of years. It was really a no-brainer.”

He understands the significance of this weekend from a recruiting class standpoint and will certainly do his job as the vocal leader of this class. Vizzina is said to be having a good feeling about this weekend, which certainly bodes well for Clemson.

Running Back

Montgomery (Ala.) Catholic four-star RB Jeremiah Cobb

Cobb released his final four in late May, including Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU and Texas. This, of course, came after the 5-foot-11, 185-pound rising senior became one of the latest recipients of a Clemson offer on May 12.

“They’re pretty high up over most of these schools,” Cobb said. “It’s a really great program filled with great people.”

Cobb, a consensus four-star prospect, is considered by 247Sports to be the nation’s No. 19 running back and the No. 295 prospect in the nation for the class of 2023.

Wide Receivers

Lakeland (Fla.) four-star WR Tyler Williams, Buckingham Browne & Nichols School (Cambridge, Mass.) four-star Ronan Hanafin, Edison (Miami, Fla.) four-star WR Nathaniel Joseph (committed) and Rolesville (Raleigh, N.C.) four-star WR Noah Rogers

In early May, Williams dropped a top-10 featuring Clemson along with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Syracuse, Southern Cal and USF. The Tigers extended a scholarship offer to Williams on Jan. 29, when he visited for the program’s elite junior day. Williams told TCI after he got offered that he would be put in a “great position” if he were to go to Clemson.

Hanafin earned an offer from the Tigers after he made an unofficial visit on March 31. Speaking recently with TCI, Hanafin indicated that the Tigers have had made him a priority and he’s in constant contact with both Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham.

Joseph, a four-star prospect from Edison High School in Miami, Fla., became the first commit in Clemson’s 2023 class when he announced his verbal pledge to the Tigers on Sept. 10, 2021.

Rogers dropped a top-five last month featuring Clemson, Florida State, Ohio State, North Carolina and N.C. State. The Tigers extended a scholarship offer to Rogers on Jan. 12. Rogers (6-2, 180) is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the state of North Carolina for the 2023 class by all the major recruiting services. According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, he is the No. 10 wide receiver and No. 59 overall prospect in his class.

Tight Ends

First Baptist Academy (Naples, Fla.) three-star TE Olsen Patt Henry and Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) three-star TE Markus Dixon 

Henry, who picked up an offer from the Tigers earlier last month, dropped a top schools list featuring Clemson, Minnesota, Duke, Alabama, Florida State, Oklahoma and South Carolina. Henry, who lists close to 20 total offers, mentioned Rutgers, West Virginia, Alabama, Louisville and Oklahoma as the schools recruiting him the hardest at the time he spoke with TCI.

The Tigers have not yet offered Dixon, who is considered by both Rivals and 247Sports to be the nation’s No. 27-ranked tight end in the 2023 class. In addition to Clemson, Dixon is planning on visiting Oregon, Cincinnati and Texas A&M. Dixon included all three schools mentioned above in his top-10 list, which he dropped in early February. Those remaining seven programs are Pitt, Rutgers, Georgia, Florida State, Ole Miss, West Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Offensive Linemen

Odessa (Texas) Permian four-star IOL Harris Sewell, Acworth (Ga.) Kennesaw Mountain three-star IOL Connor Lew, Roebuck (S.C.) Dorman four-star OT Markee Anderson, Mcdonough (Ga.) Eagle’s Landing Christian four-star OT Zechariah Owens, Austin (Texas) Vandegrift four-star OT Ian Reed

In April, Sewell dropped a top-five featuring Clemson along with Texas A&M, Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama. The Tigers extended a scholarship offer to Sewell on Nov. 1, just a couple of days after he was in attendance as an unofficial visitor for Clemson’s 30-20 win over Florida State. He also visited Clemson last July. The 6-foot-4, 300-pounder is ranked as a top-100 national prospect in the 2023 class by both ESPN (No. 65) and the 247Sports Composite (No. 76).

Lew released his final four in late May, including Clemson, Auburn, Georgia and Miami, and announced that he would be taking official visits to all four of those schools in June. The 6-foot-4, 285-pounder was a first-team All-State performer last season and lists around two dozen scholarship offers, including offers from schools such as Georgia, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, NC State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

In addition to Clemson, Anderson has also set official visits to North Carolina (June 8-10), LSU (June 17-19) and South Carolina (June 24-26). Those three schools, along with Clemson, comprise the top-four schools list that Anderson released on April 30. The 6-6, 303-pounder has made numerous trips to Tiger Town since receiving an offer from Clemson back in September 2021.

Owens, who was most recently on campus to watch Clemson’s first scrimmage of the spring at Memorial Stadium on Wednesday, March 30, indicated to TCI after making visits to Clemson and Florida State this spring that the two schools were No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in his recruitment. Owens, ranked as the nation’s No. 8 offensive tackle and No. 66 overall prospect in the 2023 class by 247Sports, received an offer from Clemson while on campus for Clemson’s Elite Visit Day in early March.

Reed has been on Clemson’s campus once before, when he made an unofficial visit in conjunction with the April 9 spring game and picked up an offer from the Tigers. The nation’s No. 22 offensive tackle in the 2023 class per 247Sports, Reed has also set official visits to Wisconsin (June 10-12), Oklahoma State (June 14-16) and Texas (June 24-26), while he will make an unofficial visit to Alabama from June 17-19. The 6-foot-6, 310-pounder is planning to make his commitment in mid-August, right before the start of his senior season.

Defensive Linemen 

Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson five-star Peter Woods, Rome (Ga.) four-star Stephiylan Green, Thomaston (Ga.) Upson-Lee four-star T.J. Searcy, Atlanta (Ga.) Woodward Academy four-star A.J. Hoffler, Trussville (Ala.) Hewitt-Trussville four-star Hunter Osborne, Highland Home (Ala.) four-star Keldric Faulk, Columbus (Ga.) Carver four-star Darron Reed 

Woods (6-4, 265) is rated as a five-star prospect by ESPN and the 247Sports Composite. He is ranked as the No. 1 defensive tackle and No. 9 overall prospect in the 2023 class by ESPN, while the composite rankings tab him as the No. 3 defensive lineman and No. 27 overall prospect in his class. In late March, Woods announced a final-four-schools list featuring Clemson along with Alabama, Florida and Oklahoma. Jackson State recently offered Woods, and he is legitimately considering that school as well. The Tigers extended an offer to Woods back on June 1, 2021, and he most recently visited Clemson this past January for the Tigers’ elite junior day. Woods also made a couple of visits to Clemson last season for the Boston College and Florida State games in October.

Green is ranked as high as the No. 7 defensive tackle and No. 188 overall prospect in the 2023 class by Rivals. In late April, he announced a top six comprised of Clemson, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State. The 6-foot-4, 275-pounder made an unofficial visit to Clemson in early March. The Tigers have not yet offered.

Searcy (6-5, 250) thoroughly enjoyed his first visit to Clemson’s campus on March 5, when he collected an offer from the Tigers. “It feels amazing to have an offer from Clemson because of how good of a program they are,” he told TCI after the visit. A good run-stopper, who uses his length and size to his advantage, Searcy is the No. 185 overall prospect in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports.

Hoffler (6-5, 245), who also picked up an offer from Clemson during his March 5 visit, returned to Tiger Town last month. While Ohio State was once the leader in the clubhouse, Hoffler indicated to TCI recently that Clemson has since closed that perceived gap going into this weekend’s official visit. “I think Clemson has done a really good job, as far as recruiting me,” Hoffler said. “I would say that they have closed the gap.”

Osborne (6-3, 250) released his final six schools on May 13, including Clemson, Alabama, Auburn, Texas, LSU and Tennessee on his shortlist. He likewise visited Clemson on March 5 and came away from the visit blown away by everything Clemson had to offer. The Tigers extended an offer to Osborne, who lists more than four dozen total offers, during the visit.

Faulk received an offer from Clemson in January and then attended the Tigers’ elite junior day later that month. The 6-foot-6, 248-pounder is ranked as high as the No. 5 weakside defensive end and No. 92 overall prospect in the 2023 class by Rivals. His offer list includes Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas, Tennessee and many others.

Last month, Reed (6-4, 270) released a list of his top schools which included Auburn, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Ohio State and Texas A&M. While Clemson did not appear in his top group, Reed confirmed to TCI that Clemson is still in the running for him, as he said the Tigers were accidentally left off the top-schools graphic.

“It was just an accident we didn’t put them on the edit,” Reed explained. “I talked to Coach about that, and we’re still locked in the 3rd through the 5th for the official.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” he added of the official visit. “I’m very excited for it.”

Reed was also on campus at Clemson earlier this year for the program’s elite junior day Jan. 29.

Edge Rushers 

Washington (D.C.) St. John’s four-star David Ojiegbe (committed) and Austin (Texas) Westlake four-star Colton Vasek 

Following his visit to Clemson for the April 9 spring game, Ojiegbe committed to the Tigers on April 27, choosing them over schools like Maryland, Miami, Michigan and North Carolina.

Ojiegbe — the No. 20 edge defender and No. 167 overall prospect in the 2023 class, per 247Sports — felt very good about Clemson after he visited for the program’s second junior day of the year on March 5, when he received his Clemson offer, and explained to TCI why he chose the Tigers.

“Faith, family and football,” Ojiegbe said, “and the family vibes I’ve already felt them…They’re gonna make me a better man and a better football player. They’re gonna develop me in everything, every aspect of life at the next level, whether that’s going to the league or into the workforce.”

Vasek — a former teammate of Clemson freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik — was on Clemson’s campus on March 14 for an unofficial visit and subsequently left town with a scholarship offer in hand.

“It was absolutely…I loved it up there,” Vasek told TCI. “It impressed me a ton, just seeing the campus, the facilities, meeting all the coaches and seeing what Clemson really had to offer. I really loved my time up there.”

“I would go as far as saying that this is probably my favorite visit I’ve been on out of all the schools I’ve visited so far,” he added.

On Thursday, Vasek released a top five featuring Clemson along with Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech.

The rising senior is rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals and the 247Sports Composite, the latter of which ranks him as the No. 27 edge rusher and No. 284 overall prospect in the 2023 class.

Linebackers

Fairfax (Va.) four-star LB Tony Rojas, Demark (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star LB Dee Crayton, Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.) four-star LB Jamal Anderson and Tampa (Fla.) Catholic four-star LB Lewis Carter

Rojas earned an offer from Clemson when he first visited for the program’s junior day on March 5 and returned in April for a spring practice visit. In April, he dropped a final four that featured Clemson, Georgia, Penn State and Miami. Rojas (6-3, 200) is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the state of Virginia, No. 12 outside linebacker and No. 210 overall prospect in the 2023 class by Rivals.

Crayton earned an offer from the Tigers back in February and has since maintained that Clemson is a top school in his recruitment. That rang true when he included Clemson in a top schools list that also featured Auburn, Mizzou, Penn State and UCF.

“Definitely, something that comes right to mind is my relationship with Coach Wes (Goodwin),” Crayton told TCI when asked why he included Clemson among his top schools. “He actually came to my practice. He’s always just recruiting me hard. We talk every day — he makes sure he calls me and we chat it up whether it’s for five minutes or 15 — we’re always just talking.

“Just being able to see myself in the defense and my head coach (Mike Palmieri) actually coached Trenton (Simpson),” Crayton continued. “He’s kind of aligned with Clemson in coaching linebackers. (Coach Goodwin) is coaching Trenton now, so that’s pretty cool seeing him develop and that possibly being me.”

Rivals considers Crayton to be the No. 9 linebacker and the nation’s No. 130 overall prospect in the class of 2023.

Anderson (6-4, 200) is the son of former Utah and Atlanta Falcons All-Pro running back Jamal Anderson, Sr. The younger Anderson received an offer from Clemson while on campus on March 12. He is ranked as high as the No. 10 outside linebacker and No. 123 overall prospect in the 2023 class by ESPN.

Clemson offered Carter back in December 2021 when Brent Venables was still the Tigers’ defensive coordinator. Carter (6-0, 205) is ranked as high as the No. 116 overall prospect in the 2023 class by 247Sports, which considers him the No. 8 linebacker in the country for his class.

Cornerbacks

American Heritage (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) four-star CB Damari Brown and St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star CB Branden Strozier (committed)

Clemson offered Brown back in January. He dropped his final six schools on Thursday, featuring Clemson, Miami, LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama and Florida State.

Strozier committed to the Tigers on May 20, choosing Clemson over Alabama and Tennessee.

It all came down to the fact of what school is gonna help bring me the best version of myself, whether it’s on the field or off the field,” Strozier said. “I felt like Clemson was the best fit for me and that I’ll be able to thrive in their program.”

What was it about Clemson’s recruiting pitch that resonated with Strozier the most?

“Really just the coaching stability there,” he said. “You know people say, ‘Don’t go to school because of the coach,’ but you have to choose a school with the right coach that’s going to be able to develop you. And at Clemson, their coaching staff doesn’t change a whole lot. So, being able to have a stable coaching staff is just really great.”

Safeties

Summer High (Riverview, Fla.) three-star ATH Kylen Webb and Crisp County (Cordele, Ga.) three-star S Ahmad Brown

Clemson offered Webb after he made an unofficial visit to campus on March 17. Webb told TCI recently that he is currently enjoying the recruitment process and plans to make a decision before the fall. He made sure to reiterate that Clemson is one of the top schools in his recruitment. In addition to Clemson, Webb mentioned UCF and Florida State as the schools recruiting him the hardest at the moment.

Brown picked up an offer from Clemson back in April. Brown later visited and told us that Clemson is at the top of his standings in his recruitment.

Congratulations! You did it! You graduated! Now is the time to preserve your diploma in a custom frame. Here at Clemson Variety & Frame, we build all our frames in-house – from the frame to the mats and etchings to the installation – to guarantee the quality. You worked hard for your degree. Trust us to show your diploma in the best light possible.

Big Texas OL gives the latest, details why Clemson is among his top schools

One of Clemson’s top offensive lineman targets in the class of 2023 dropped his top-10 schools on May 2 via social media. Vandegrift High School (Austin, Texas) four-star Ian Reed is down to Clemson, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio State, …

One of Clemson’s top offensive lineman targets in the class of 2023 dropped his top-10 schools on May 2 via social media.

Vandegrift High School (Austin, Texas) four-star Ian Reed is down to Clemson, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M.

Reed — a 6-foot-6, 305-pound junior — earned an offer from Clemson when he was on campus for the program’s Orange & White Spring Game on April 9.

“Clemson I just felt really comfortable with taking an (official visit),” Reed told The Clemson Insider this past week. “I felt really comfortable when I first went there and seeing what Clemson has to offer when I first went there was pretty cool. I just want to go back there and (continue to) build a relationship with them.”

Clemson’s offensive line coach stopped by Vandegrift this past Tuesday.

“Coach Austin is an awesome coach and an awesome person,” Reed said. “We talk a couple of days here and there. He’s a great guy and a great coach.”

Since Clemson offered Reed, the Tigers have reinforced to him that he’s a priority in this recruiting class. He has since been in contact with Austin at least once a week, as they continue to build a strong relationship.

Reed set up an official visit for the weekend of June 3-5. He’s hoping that his next visit confirms how he feels about the school. As far as the remainder of his recruitment is concerned, Reed is planning on taking his official visits in June and plans on making a decision prior to the start of his senior season in August.

What has stood out to Reed about Clemson during the recruitment process and the way the Tigers have recruited him?

“I would just say the hospitality, the football system that they run there and have been setting the standard,” he said. “Clemson’s an awesome place. There’s great people, just a great town. They really care about football, academics and the development of their players.”

Congratulations! You did it! You graduated! Now is the time to preserve your diploma in a custom frame. Here at Clemson Variety & Frame, we build all our frames in-house – from the frame to the mats and etchings to the installation – to guarantee the quality. You worked hard for your degree. Trust us to show your diploma in the best light possible.

The Insider Report: Latest on OL targets, nation’s top-ranked athlete & more

It’s time for this week’s edition of The Insider Report. We hope everyone had a great weekend. Austin staying in touch with fast-rising Virginia OL The Clemson Insider recently caught up with Tuscarora (Leesburg, Va.) three-star offensive lineman …

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

We hope everyone had a great weekend.

Austin staying in touch with fast-rising Virginia OL

The Clemson Insider recently caught up with Tuscarora (Leesburg, Va.) three-star offensive lineman Fletcher Westphal, who has been keeping in touch with Clemson offensive line coach Thomas Austin since he visited in March.

“I’ve just been catching up since my last visit there to Clemson,” Westphal said. “Just been talking about how school is going, how spring ball’s going. I know he’s supposed to come for a spring practice sometime (this month). We’ve been talking a little bit.”

The fact that Clemson is stopping by his school during the evaluation period proves to Westphal that the Tigers are definitely interested in him going forward.

“I know Clemson — they pick who they want to offer — they don’t offer a lot of people,” he said. “I know that once you’re on their radar and that’s a good thing. I just hope that he can come out and see and build more of a relationship with him.”

Westphal’s recruitment has skyrocketed. He went from having seven offers to 16 in the span of just two months. He currently holds offers from schools like Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Miami, Michigan State, North Carolina, Old Dominion, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

“It would definitely be an honor,” Westphal said regarding a potential offer from Clemson. “My family does a lot of research on these colleges…you search up academics, what they’re ranked at as a public school, private school, what their reputation is? Our family wasn’t super big into college football before, so we didn’t know a lot of this stuff. Clemson, I mean, they’re definitely up there.”

Westphal (6-8, 320) currently ranks as the No. 14 offensive tackle and the nation’s No. 247 prospect in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Update on a priority OL target

One of Clemson’s top offensive lineman targets in the class of 2023 dropped his top-10 schools on May 2 via social media.

Vandegrift High School (Austin, Texas) four-star Ian Reed is down to Clemson, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M.

Reed — a 6-foot-6, 305-pound junior — earned an offer from Clemson when he was on campus for the program’s Orange & White Spring Game on April 9.

“Clemson I just felt really comfortable with taking an (official visit),” Reed said. “I felt really comfortable when I first went there and seeing what Clemson has to offer when I first went there was pretty cool. I just want to go back there and (continue to) build a relationship with them.”

Reed set up an official visit for the weekend of June 3-5. He’s hoping that his next visit confirms how he feels about the school.

Since Clemson offered Reed, the Tigers have reinforced to him that he’s a priority in this recruiting class. He has since been in contact with Austin at least once a week, as they continue to build a strong relationship.

Sunshine State signal-caller drawing Clemson interest

Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville, Fla.) 2024 QB James Resar is drawing interest from Clemson. In fact, Clemson offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter stopped by his high school this past week.

“I went to camp last year and I hadn’t really heard anything else and then Coach Streeter watched me make a couple of throws at practice,” Resar said. “He said that I looked good.”

What does that mean to Resar?

“I feel like they’re showing interest,” he said. “I know they’d like to see a little bit more because they like to see their quarterbacks a lot before they offer interest.”

He currently has offers from Georgia Tech and Wake Forest, but a lot of schools currently showing interest in him want to see him throw before they pull the trigger on any offer.

Right now, Resar is unsure if he’ll be able to camp at Clemson again this summer. He, unfortunately, has finals when the Tigers host their camps on June 1 and 2. He’ll look into doing any of the camps from June 10-12, but nothing is set in stone.

Latest on the nation’s top-ranked athlete

TCI recently caught up with a five-star recruit ranked as the nation’s top athlete in the 2024 class and one of the top prospects in his class regardless of position.

Buford (Ga.) High School’s Khalil “KJ” Bolden spoke with TCI regarding the latest in his recruitment, where things stand with Clemson at this point in the process and more.

“Everything’s been going straight,” he said of the recruiting process. “I’m picking up offers constantly, daily. Me and my family have been talking. We just plan on narrowing things down junior year to like 12 or something like that, and then just keep going on from there.”

Bolden, the No. 1 athlete in the 2024 class per 247Sports, said he hears from Clemson co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Mickey Conn and receivers coach Tyler Grisham every now and then and added “those are my guys.”

According to Bolden, Conn and Grisham are telling the 6-foot-1, 182-pound rising junior that the Tigers want him, they think he can play for them, and they’re leaving it open for him as to whether he would play safety or receiver if he chose to go to Clemson.

Bolden expects to play a lot of receiver during his junior season, as Buford had an Alabama commitment – Isaiah Bond – who played mostly receiver last season and Bolden believes he has to step up and take over that spot. But after this season, Bolden said, he plans on trying to figure out which position he would prefer to play at the next level.

Bolden estimates he’s been to Clemson two or three times and said, “Clemson’s always been one of my favorite schools since I was little,” and that the Tigers would definitely be one of his top schools if they join his list of 30-plus offers.

“They’re all like family. They’re big on what they do,” Bolden said of his interest in Clemson. “They never change things up. Coach Dabo, he was nice. He gets after it. I like things like that, coaches like that, and it’s just more than football to them. They like to talk about life and other things beyond football, and schools like that, that’s really big to me.”

Bolden said his mother also “loves” Clemson. She’s from South Carolina, and Bolden said she really wants to get back to Clemson and that they’ll return this summer should he receive an offer.

Bolden said he’s looking to visit schools such as Texas A&M, LSU, Florida State, USC and Penn State moving forward. He named Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss and Ohio State as schools that as of now, he definitely anticipates making his top schools list when he releases it – along with Clemson, if it pulls the trigger on an offer.

In addition to being the No. 1 athlete in the 2024 class, Bolden ranks as the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2024 class regardless of position according to 247Sports. He is a five-star prospect per the 247Sports Composite.

Tar Heel State running back on Spiller’s radar, looks up to Shipley

This talented running back prospect in the 2024 class is receiving plenty of early interest from Clemson and running backs coach C.J. Spiller.

Charlotte Christian School (Charlotte, N.C.)’s Ryan Henley told TCI that Clemson is showing the most interest in him right now and that he caught Spiller’s eye at the Dabo Swinney Camp last summer.

“I went to a camp last year after freshman year, and Coach Spiller just really liked what he saw,” Henley said. “He ended up taking me and my mom on a tour of the whole facility, just the three of us after. He really liked what I was doing out there, like my versatility and my ability to make things happen in the receiving game. I think that’s really what made me stand out from some of the other running backs there, was just the versatility that I have and my ability to run the whole route tree.”

Henley (5-10, 184) also visited Clemson for the Florida State game last season, and Spiller wants him to camp at Clemson again this summer, so he plans to do so June 2.

Henley looks up to fellow Charlotte-area native and Clemson rising sophomore running back Will Shipley and has trained with Shipley several times.

“Going into freshman year, I trained with Will,” Henley said. “I’ve trained with him multiple times. He’s been a great role model for me to try and model my game. He’s offered a lot of knowledge that’s just rare to come by. He’s extremely successful at what he does, highly ranked guy. But I think he’s so humble with it all and he’s able to keep the main thing the main thing. I like seeing what he does, and the way that he treats my parents with respect. He’s such a high-level player, he doesn’t really have to do that, so my level of respect for him is extremely high.”

Henley hopes to stand out at the Swinney Camp again this summer and said he’d “love to be able to suit up for Clemson one day” and have the chance to follow in Shipley’s footsteps as a running back for the Tigers.

Congratulations! You did it! You graduated! Now is the time to preserve your diploma in a custom frame. Here at Clemson Variety & Frame, we build all our frames in-house – from the frame to the mats and etchings to the installation – to guarantee the quality. You worked hard for your degree. Trust us to show your diploma in the best light possible.