This weekend, a legacy recruit made his way back on campus for the first time since 2019. Pine View (Saint George, UT.) 2022 three-star running back Keith Adams, Jr. was on Clemson’s campus this weekend for an official visit. He detailed his …
This weekend, a legacy recruit made his way back on campus for the first time since 2019.
Pine View (Saint George, UT.) 2022 three-star running back Keith Adams, Jr. was on Clemson’s campus this weekend for an official visit. He detailed his experience on campus, which included being offered a scholarship by Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney.
“I just liked how everybody treated me,” Adams told The Clemson Insider. “I just enjoyed spending time with the coaches and the players. I had a lot of fun and the facilities were great.”
Clemson originally offered Adams as a grayshirt back when he was a junior in October 2020, but on Saturday, the Tigers offered him a full ride. According to Adams, Clemson loved his film and they saw him progress throughout the entirety of his high school career, which is why they offered him a full schoalrship.
As a senior this past season, Adams Jr. rushed for 1,376 yards, had 309 receiving yards and scored 24 total touchdowns.
“It meant a lot,” he said, “to actually get it in person, it felt a lot different than receiving it over the phone. It was a special moment for me and my family.”
Adams is not announcing his decision until National Signing Day, which is on Wednesday, Feb. 2. He will be signing at his high school and will be choosing from Air Force, Marshall, USF and of course, Clemson.
He has an idea of where he’s leaning, but he’s not going to announce his next move until Wednesday.
Clemson freshman running back Phil Mafah served as Adams’ player host for the weekend. Adams, like Mafah, is from the Peach State and their hometowns are a little over an hour apart from each other.
While Mafah played his high school ball at Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), Adams played at Cherokee High School (Canton, Ga.), before transferring to Pine View (St. George, UT.), prior to the 2021 season.
“He was just telling me how it was to play in an actual college football game,” Adams said of Mafah. “Just how it is coming in at Clemson and how great of a program it is and the coaches, like how they love you. Everybody’s treated the same and I really like it.”
Adams also appreciated how his family was treated as well. The family atmosphere doesn’t feel like any other school he’s been to.
He is the son of former Clemson All-American linebacker, Keith Adams Sr., who went on to play seven years in the NFL and played in the 2005 Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.
“They loved it,” Adams, Jr. said of his family. “We’ve been there a couple of times, but this time felt a little bit different because of all the other things we did there like the photoshoot and just going to dinner with the coaches and talking a little bit more personal. So, that was good.”
Beyond his father, the younger Adams has some connections of his own at Clemson. He’s known Swinney since he was a little kid. According to Adams Jr., Swinney has seen him grow up and has liked how he’s progressed throughout the years.
“Every time he sees me, he just tells me I get better and better,” he said of Swinney. “That’s one of the main reasons why he offered me because he’s seen the beginning to end. He also likes my grades too, that’s what he told me. He just loves how I’ve gotten better.”
Adams Jr. has also built quite the connection with C.J. Spiller.
“We got close in a short amount of time, so that means a lot,” he said of his relationship with Clemson’s running backs coach. “I’ve always looked up to him, playing with him on Madden and things like that. Just to actually meet him in person, that was awesome. It felt special to be able to be coached by an NFL veteran. It was just special to me.
“It’s very encouraging to be able to develop into a better running back with not only other good running backs on the team but also have a great coach as well. It’s gonna help me along the way to get to the main goal, which is getting to the NFL. I think that’s gonna be a really cool experience.”
If he chooses to play for Spiller, Adams Jr. is willing to do whatever’s asked of him, but he can pretty much do anything that’s needed out of a running back. He feels like he’s one of the more underrated backs in the 2022 recruiting class, but everything has seemingly worked in his favor as of late and as it stands, he couldn’t be happier to be in the position he’s in.
That speaks to his character.
“Off the field, I’m a well-mannered, respectful kid,” he said. “I don’t get into all the extra stuff that you see other people get into, that you see other people get into. I’m just down to earth, cool. I don’t really do much.
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