Tag: Khalil Barnes

Tigers set to host top prospects for Syracuse game

Clemson will play host to a bunch of top prospects for Saturday’s 12 p.m. game against Syracuse. Here are some of the bigger names The Clemson Insider has confirmed as planned visitors for the top-15 ACC Atlantic Division showdown at Death Valley: …

Clemson will play host to a bunch of top prospects for Saturday’s 12 p.m. game against Syracuse.

Here are some of the bigger names The Clemson Insider has confirmed as planned visitors for the top-15 ACC Atlantic Division showdown at Death Valley:

One of the headliners among the recruits expected to be in attendance is Central High School (Phenix City, Ala.) four-star defensive end Tomarrion Parker (pictured above), who will be on campus as an official visitor.

Parker, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound senior in the class of 2023, is down to Clemson, Penn State, Texas A&M and Tennessee. Last week, he announced a commitment date of Nov. 21.

Clemson extended an offer to Parker on Aug. 11, after he decommitted from Penn State a couple days prior.

“I always wanted to say that Clemson offered,” Parker told The Clemson Insider shortly after being offered. “We’ve been talking for a little while and once I decommitted, some of the commits, some of my friends that I know — Peter Woods and (Christopher) Vizzina — they hit me up and they were like, ‘Bro, would you be interested in Clemson?’

“Are you kidding me? Of course!”

Since Clemson has re-entered the picture, what has defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall’s message been to Parker?

“He’s losing four guys (Xavier Thomas, KJ Henry, Myles Murphy and Justin Mascoll) this year to the NFL, so he needs players who are ready to come in and play early, play right away,” Parker said, “and he feels like I’m a guy that can do that. He’s gonna recruit me hard and I really like that and respect that — saying that the defensive room is open next year. That’s a great opportunity to go into.”

Parker, who went to Tennessee last weekend for its game against Alabama, was previously at Clemson on an unofficial visit for the Sept. 10 game vs. Furman.

He is ranked as high as the No. 6 defensive lineman and No. 44 overall prospect in the 2023 class by 247Sports.

A few other significant 2023 prospects slated to be on hand for Saturday’s game as unofficial visitors are Daniel High School (Central, S.C.) three-star athlete Misun Kelley, North Oconee (Bogart, Ga.) three-star athlete Khalil Barnes and North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.) four-star defensive tackle Kayden McDonald.

Kelley received an offer from Clemson on Oct. 7, shortly after decommitting from Virginia Tech.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers offered the 5-foot-11, 177-pound senior as an athlete. According to Kelley, Clemson sees him as an electric, versatile weapon that can return punts, shut down opposing receivers and/or score touchdowns.

“Swinney had called me and told me that I had been balling on the field,” Kelley told TCI after scoring the offer. “He said that they were ready to 100% offer me. I’ve been talking to (wide receivers coach Tyler) Grisham and (defensive coordinator Wes) Goodwin too a lot.”

In addition to Clemson, Kelley mentioned schools like Virginia Tech, James Madison, Maryland, Oklahoma and Florida as those currently involved in his recruitment. He’s hoping to render a decision prior to December.

Barnes (6-1, 185) reopened his recruitment and decommitted from Wake Forest on Oct. 3.

Ever since Clemson offered Barnes on Sept. 22, he’s been in constant contact with 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 to TCI 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.”

After this weekend’s unofficial visit, Barnes will make his way back to Clemson for the South Carolina game on Nov. 26 and take an official visit that weekend.

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 midyear enrollee and said that all the schools he’s been in contact with will be able to accommodate him on that.

As for McDonald, he announced a top five earlier this month featuring the Tigers along with Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma and Ohio State. He is ranked as high as the No. 193 overall prospect in the 2023 class by Rivals, which considers him the nation’s No. 8 defensive tackle in his class.

Clemson extended an offer to the 6-foot-3, 315-pounder in late May.

“It’s a blessing,” McDonald told TCI after receiving the offer. “Clemson’s a school that doesn’t really throw out a whole lot of offers. Clemson is a great, top-five program. In the last five years, they’ve won nattys. It’s a great program that doesn’t really throw out offers, so it’s a blessing to have an offer.”

The headliner among the 2024 prospects planning to be in attendance is Willis (Texas) five-star quarterback DJ Lagway.

The 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior is ranked as the No. 4 quarterback in the country and No. 25 overall prospect in the 2024 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Lagway dropped his top 10 schools last month, announcing he is down to Clemson, Arkansas, LSU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, Southern Cal, Alabama and Baylor.

Clemson got him on campus for a pair of unofficial visits in April and June.

It didn’t come as a surprise when he included Swinney’s program as a part of his top schools. He recently went into detail with TCI about why the Tigers are one of his favorites.

“I’d say because of the atmosphere — the Christian-based atmosphere,” Lagway explained. “It’s just amazing. It’s different than any other school. I feel like that’s the reason why it sets Clemson apart.”

Some other standout prospects set to visit Clemson for Saturday’s game are Tuscaloosa County High School (Northport, Ala.) 2023 three-star athlete Sawyer Deerman, Vandegrift (Austin, Texas) 2024 four-star offensive lineman Blake Frazier, Pike Road (Ala.) 2024 three-star defensive end Malik Blocton, North Cobb (Kennesaw, Ga.) 2024 athlete David Eziomume, Carrollton (Ga.) 2026 quarterback Julian Lewis and Dillon (S.C.) 2026 quarterback Josiah Oxendine.

As always, visitor lists like this are fluid and subject to change. But as of Thursday morning, the prospects mentioned in this article are some of the bigger names TCI expects to be on hand Saturday in The Valley.

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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!

The Insider Report: Multiple 5-star updates, new class of 2023 developments & more

It’s time for this week’s edition of The Insider Report. We hope everyone had a great weekend. It was certainly a great weekend for the Tigers as they earned a top-10 victory and got their 37th consecutive home win in what was an awesome atmosphere …

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

We hope everyone had a great weekend. It was certainly a great weekend for the Tigers as they earned a top-10 victory and got their 37th consecutive home win in what was an awesome atmosphere at Death Valley.

Grisham set to check out 2025 Ohio QB

The Clemson Insider has learned through a source that Tyler Grisham will be traveling to Ohio ahead of the team’s game against Boston College this Saturday. Clemson’s wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator will be on hand to watch Findlay (Ohio) 2025 quarterback Ryan Montgomery, who has emerged as a prime sophomore target for the Tigers.

Clemson is said to be doing a good job in its pursuit of Ryan, who is the younger brother of one of the nation’s top offensive linemen in Luke Montgomery, an Ohio State pledge. Clemson was a finalist in Luke’s recruitment but wasn’t able to beat the allure that a program like Ohio State has on an in-state prospect.

As for Ryan, he’s been in contact with Brandon Streeter and has had several calls with Clemson’s offensive coordinator.

It’s likely that Ryan, who already holds several Power Five offers from schools like Georgia, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Tennessee, will be in attendance with his parents for Clemson’s matchup against Louisville at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 12. 

New class of 2023 developments

We have some information to pass along regarding two Peach State prospects that Clemson is pursuing in the class of 2023. 

Over a week after reporting an offer from Clemson, Bogart (Ga.) North Oconee three-star defensive back Khalil Barnes took to Twitter to announce that he would be reopening his recruitment, and so walking back his pledge from the Demon Deacons.

Barnes has talked pretty candidly about his affinity for Dabo Swinney’s program and his relationship with Mickey Conn. Once Clemson’s co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach pulled the trigger on a scholarship offer, this seemed like a development that could arise, but Barnes was still committed to Wake Forest at the time.

“It was definitely crazy. I’m blessed,” he said when asked about his reaction to receiving an offer. “I was really happy where I was…I was just kind of in the moment. I was just proud and I knew how hard I had worked for it. It was cool to finally get that one. Coach Conn gave me something to think about, but I just want to focus on helping my team win a state championship.”

Conn brought up a conversation that he had with Barnes and his father back in June.

In that conversation, which Barnes detailed in an interview with TCI, Conn was honest and upfront about Clemson’s intentions. According to Barnes, Conn said that he would totally understand if they both hated him and Clemson, after having not pulled the trigger on an offer at the time.

​​”Just knowing that he remembered that conversation vividly and was able to be a man of his word and produce the offer, it shows what kind of man he is,” Barnes said of Conn.

Now, there remains a good chance that Barnes will have the opportunity to play for Conn at the next level.

The next target we wanted to touch on is Meadowcreek (Norcross, Ga.) three-star running back Jordan Louie. We can tell you that Clemson stopped by the West Virginia pledge’s school this past Friday.

He recently told TCI that the Tigers are starting to show a lot of interest in him.

Back in March, he informed TCI that he sent his film to both CJ Spiller and Tyler Grisham because he plays both running back and wide receiver. According to Louie, Grisham told him that his film was impressive.

Louie told us he’s looking to visit for a game and that Clemson will potentially give him an opportunity to be on the team.

We’ll keep an eye on this development as Clemson keeps its option available at the running back position.

OL target has ‘awesome’ visit to Clemson

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

Tuscarora (Leesburg, Va.) four-star Fletcher Westphal took an unofficial visit to Death Valley for the Tigers’ 30-20 victory over the Wolfpack.

“It was awesome,” Westphal told TCI in a message. “I got there early and they toured me around the campus and I could see the fans already set up at 1:30 pm tailgating. The excitement was already building that early. It just kept building closer it got to game time.

“I got to meet the team at the top of the hill at the rock before they enter the field before the game. That was crazy. One of my friends saw me on TV in the crowd.”

Westphal also got to spend a good amount of time with both offensive line coach Thomas Austin and offensive player development coach Tyrone Crowder, which he said he didn’t expect.

Originally Westphal was supposed to visit for the Louisville game on Nov. 12 but elected to travel down to Clemson this past weekend instead.

“I was planning for a November visit, but I’m definitely glad I made this game!” he said.

Update on nation’s No. 1 LB after latest Clemson visit

Clemson again played host to the nation’s top-ranked linebacker in the 2024 class this past weekend.

Jefferson (Ga.) five-star Sammy Brown returned to Tiger Town to take in the NC State game. He made the trip with his mom and dad, both of whom he said enjoyed the visit “very much and really liked catching up with all the staff and coaches.”

Brown also attended Clemson’s home opener against Furman, where both of his parents went to college when different members of the Tigers’ staff were there. So there’s a lot of connections between Clemson staffers and Brown’s parents, including Joey Batson, Clemson’s longtime director of strength training who previously served as the first full-time director of strength training at Furman.

Brown told TCI he really enjoyed getting back to Clemson for a night game and being able to experience a game at Death Valley under the lights. “The fans (Saturday) night were unbelievable, more electric than any other time,” he said.

We asked Brown, who has visited campus numerous times, what most appeals to him about Clemson when he thinks about it as a potential college option. He said, “Definitely their culture.”

“They’ve got one of the best cultures in college football and are definitely doing the right thing,” he said.

Brown traveled to Tennessee for its game vs. Florida on Sept. 24 and visited Ohio State for its Sept. 3 season opener against Notre Dame. He told us he thinks his next trip will be to Georgia but he doesn’t have anything else planned besides that as of now.

Clemson visit puts cherry on top for top cornerback target

The cornerback prospect who collected Clemson’s first offer at his position when the Tigers began dispensing offers to 2024 recruits back in June was on hand at Death Valley for the NC State game.

Carrollwood Day (Tampa, Fla.) four-star Tavoy Feagin made the trip to Tiger Town over the weekend with his parents and little brother. He told TCI that he “really enjoyed the visit” and “how crazy the atmosphere was” stood out to him.

Feagin spent plenty of time with cornerbacks coach Mike Reed, as well as Dabo Swinney. According to Feagin, Clemson’s head coach told him that he truly feels like Feagin would be a perfect fit with the Tigers’ program.

Feagin’s father, Michael, was a defensive back at Alabama in the 1990s when Swinney was on the Crimson Tide’s coaching staff.

On Sunday, Feagin seemed to hint that Alabama shouldn’t necessarily be considered the sure bet to land his commitment just because of his dad’s ties to the Tide. Feagin tweeted, “My dad had his time, now it’s time for me to make my own decisions.”

We believe the Tigers are in a great spot with Feagin coming out of the weekend’s visit, which he told TCI “really just made Clemson even better,” adding that Clemson is “already a place I can call home and this visit really put a cherry on the top.”

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

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

5-star ATH very impressed by Death Valley

A five-star prospect, regarded as one of the best players in the 2024 class regardless of position, came away very impressed by the environment at Death Valley during Clemson’s 30-20 victory over NC State.

Buford (Ga.) High School athlete Khalil “KJ” Bolden (pictured above) gave Death Valley rave reviews in a comment to The Clemson Insider.

“The atmosphere was electric,” he said. “Words can’t explain how much energy was in this stadium. I’m talking before the kickoff and after the game. This has to be one of the best CFB environments to play in. Go Tigers.”

Bolden, who received an offer from Clemson back on June 1, is ranked by the 247Sports Composite as the nation’s No. 1 safety and No. 4 overall prospect in the country for the 2024 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!

Promising Peach State DB, ACC commit reports Clemson offer

Clemson handed out a new offer to a class of 2023 prospect on Thursday. Bogart (Ga.) North Oconee High School’s Khalil Barnes reported the offer via social media. Barnes – a 6-foot-1, 185-pound senior in the class of 2023 -competed in the Dabo …

Clemson handed out a new offer to a class of 2023 prospect on Thursday.

Bogart (Ga.) North Oconee High School’s Khalil Barnes reported the offer via social media.

Barnes — a 6-foot-1, 185-pound senior in the class of 2023 —competed in the Dabo Swinney Camp in June. He proved to himself then that he was worthy of a Clemson offer, though he returned home without one.

“They didn’t offer, but I had a really good talk with Coach (Mickey)  Conn,” Barnes told The Clemson Insider back in June. “They are kind of waiting to see what happens this weekend if anyone commits. He told me I should know as early as next week or as late as the end of the month if they’re going to do it.

“It’s a business and I can’t be mad at that. I’m honestly really happy with that because (Coach) Conn told me to my face that I can easily play football at Clemson, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, and all the big places. He also told me I was the best coverage DB they have had at camp all week.”

Now, Barnes, who verbally pledged to Dave Clawson’s program on June 28, has a Clemson offer in hand.

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Swinney Camp an ‘eye-opener’ for impressive Georgia DB

Camping at Clemson was a personal confidence booster for Khalil Barnes, a fast-rising three-star defensive back out of Bogart’s (Ga.) North Oconee High School. Barnes – a 6-foot-1, 185-pound rising senior – proved to himself at Thursday’s Dabo …

Camping at Clemson was a personal confidence booster for Khalil Barnes, a fast-rising three-star defensive back out of Bogart’s (Ga.) North Oconee High School.

Barnes — a 6-foot-1, 185-pound rising senior — proved to himself at Thursday’s Dabo Swinney Camp that he was worthy of a Clemson offer, though he returned home without one.

That doesn’t mean a Clemson scholarship offer isn’t coming his way soon, though.

“It was a personal eye-opener for me,” Barnes told The Clemson Insider. “I know the coaches that were there on (Thursday), they were really impressed. They saw me on film, they saw what I did, but for them to see me work in person and move how I move, cover how I cover and everything, I know they were impressed. It was a productive day.”

Barnes worked out during Thursday’s morning session but did not participate in the Swinney Camp that afternoon. Instead, he spectated and talked at length with Clemson senior safety Jalyn Phillips. Conn told him that he did not need to work out during the afternoon portion of events and that they would have an in-depth conversation afterward.

“They didn’t offer, but I had a really good talk with Coach Conn,” Barnes said. “They are kind of waiting to see what happens this weekend if anyone commits. He told me I should know as early as next week or as late as the end of the month if they’re going to do it.

“It’s a business and I can’t be mad at that. I’m honestly really happy with that because (Coach) Conn told me to my face that I can easily play football at Clemson, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, and all the big places. He also told me I was the best coverage DB they have had at camp all week.”

Conn was honest and upfront with Barnes and his father. According to Barnes, at the end of that whole conversation, Clemson’s co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach said that he would totally understand if they both hated him and Clemson, after having not pulled the trigger on an offer Thursday.

Barnes got into the car and the first thing he told his dad is that Clemson was still a top-five school for him, even without that offer.

“I know a lot of coaches that have offered wouldn’t have had the guts to tell me what he just said in that room and looked me in my eyes and told me,” Barnes said. “He wasn’t even telling me that it’s not gonna come…He thinks I can play at Clemson, Bama, Georgia and all these other schools.”

Conn told Barnes that if he gets those other offers, he doesn’t want him to wait for him because it’s Clemson. At the end of the day, Khalil Barnes has to do what’s best for Khalil Barnes.

According to Barnes, Clemson invited him to be a part of the program’s official visit weekend from June 3-5. While Barnes was flattered, he said that he wouldn’t have felt right taking an official visit to a school that he doesn’t have an offer from yet.

Instead, Barnes came out there on Thursday to prove that his film doesn’t lie.

“My workout videos show that I’m fast, I’m a quick guy with good hips, can cover and got good ball skills,” he said. “I just kind of showed them everything (Thursday) and them telling me I could take the afternoon session off and just kind of get off my feet, it proved to me that I proved to them that I can play.”

All in all, Barnes is expecting an offer in the coming weeks.

Another reason why Clemson didn’t offer Barnes, is the Tigers want to see how this weekend plays out. Conn didn’t want to offer Barnes without that offer being committable. When Conn offers Barnes, he wants the Peach State defensive back to be able to call him back five minutes later with his commitment.

“He doesn’t want there to be any exceptions,” Barnes explained.

Clemson has two guys ahead of Barnes on its board right now. Once those two guys make their decisions, Barnes expects to be getting a call. 

Right now, Barnes has an official visit set to Purdue for next week. He’s talked about setting up other ones, but this is the only one he has locked in at this moment in time.

Peach State DB felt like he was ‘wanted’ during latest Clemson visit

T he Clemson Insider spoke with Oconee High School’s (Bogart, Ga.) defensive back Khalil Barnes, who recapped his visit to Clemson this past weekend and gave the latest on where things stand with the Tigers. Barnes – a 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior in …

The Clemson Insider spoke with Oconee High School’s (Bogart, Ga.) defensive back Khalil Barnes, who recapped his visit to Clemson this past weekend and gave the latest on where things stand with the Tigers.

Barnes — a 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior in the 2023 class was back on campus for Clemson’s annual Orange & White Spring Game on Saturday, April 9 at Memorial Stadium.

“I felt a lot better about the whole situation,” Barnes said. “It definitely moved Clemson up a ton. I really enjoyed the visit.”

When we spoke with Barnes after his junior day visit on Saturday, March 5, he didn’t really have an answer regarding a potential offer. Mickey Conn was able to give Barnes all the answers that he was searching for. 

“This time when we went up there, Coach Conn was kind of explaining everything to me,” he said, “and was telling me the reason that all that has kind of been slow is because they were deciding as a staff whether they wanted to look at me or offer me as a safety or corner like they didn’t know which one. They thought I could fit better as someone who’s gonna be a versatile DB, but I would be getting offered by Coach Conn, who is the safeties coach.”

According to Barnes, Clemson’s co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach told him that the Tigers will be coming down to watch his spring practice(s), and from there, their involvement with him is going to start to ramp up.

“That conversation right there pushed it a lot,” Barnes said, “and just the whole way I was treated that trip. We got there pretty late because we were coming from Spring Break and there were a lot of things that I got to do that I know a lot of other kids didn’t get to do, like going in the locker room before the game. There’s only so many kids who can do that. And after the game, staying in the locker room and talking to the coaches and position guys. It really just felt like I was wanted there. It felt good.”

Prior to this past weekend’s visit, Barnes had been strengthening his bond with cornerbacks coach Mike Reed. It just so happened that Conn had the majority of Barnes’ focus this time around.

Barnes envisions that he’d be playing a similar position as Andrew Mukuba in Clemson’s defense. The sophomore safety is a chess piece on the backend of Clemson’s defense, who repped at both free and strong safety, nickel and corner through the spring.

“They like how versatile I am and how I play the game,” Barnes said. “They said I can play most of the defensive back positions within the defense. If (Mukuba’s) that versatile of a player that’s what I think I could be and bring to that defense.”

He feels that if he shows what he’s capable of doing in front of an audience this spring, then he’ll certainly be able to earn an offer from Clemson.

“It’d be even bigger for me because this spring is like when a lot of the schools that are pretty far that I talk to —Kent State, Oklahoma, Illinois — are coming to see me,” he said. “I know that if I perform for them, then they’re probably gonna send an offer this way too. Just getting them all at the same time and kind of knowing that Clemson would kind of have an edge, that’s big to me. It would kind of be a relief off my chest. Not to stop working, but knowing that a place I can see myself go is an option I have to play the game I love.”

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Georgia DB’s bond with Reed has ‘definitely gotten stronger’ entering Saturday’s visit

On Monday afternoon, The Clemson Insider caught up with a fast-rising defensive back, who has set a return visit to campus and will be in attendance for Clemson’s spring game on Saturday, April 9, at Memorial Stadium. North Oconee High School’s …

On Monday afternoon, The Clemson Insider caught up with a fast-rising defensive back, who has set a return visit to campus and will be in attendance for Clemson’s spring game on Saturday, April 9, at Memorial Stadium.

North Oconee High School’s (Bogart, Ga.) Khalil Barnes touched on his current recruitment and what he’s been hearing from the Tigers since he was last on campus for Clemson’s second junior day of the year on Saturday, March 5.

“I still talk with Coach (Mike) Reed a lot,” Barnes said. “It’s still a lot of good talks. We talk at least twice a week. I’m going back up next Saturday, but every time we talk it’s just about life, it’s not a lot of football.”

How would Barnes say his relationship has developed with Clemson’s cornerbacks coach since he was last on campus?

“It’s definitely gotten stronger because I met him in person,” Barnes said. “He’s not different from the way he is on the phone. I like it and I respect him and I have a really good bond with him.”

After Clemson, Barnes made visits to Georgia, Tennessee and Georgia State. He’s also since added offers from Purdue and Wofford.

When asked about a potential Clemson offer, Barnes provided a timeline of events for how things may transpire.

He said that Reed will be coming down to his high school for spring practice, which will be from May 2-13. According to Barnes, Reed wants to see how he moves in person and if he moves well enough in person, Clemson could potentially offer him then.

Barnes is also supposed to come back up to Clemson on June 2 to participate in the Dabo Swinney Camp and run a few things for the Tigers then too.

As far as his recruitment is concerned, Barnes is happy to have some high-profile offers rolling, but he understands that his process could become a bit more hectic as he figures out where he would want to go and where he’d likely fit best.

“I would say I’m in a good place right now,” he said. “I’m hearing from a lot of coaches from places that I can see myself going to and that I want to go to, but I’m not at the place I want to be at. I’m happy where I’m at, though.”

When he’s back on campus this Saturday, what is Barnes looking to see?

“I know I saw the practices, so I kind of just want to see what their defense looks like when it’s full-go,” he said, “and kind of see the role their DBs play and how they move and how I could see myself fitting in there.”

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Fast-rising Georgia DB says Clemson is ‘the place to be’

A Peach State defensive back drawing interest from Clemson made his way to campus for Clemson’s second junior day of the year on Saturday, March 5. The Clemson Insider recently caught up with North Oconee High School’s (Bogart, Ga.) Khalil Barnes, …

A Peach State defensive back drawing interest from Clemson made his way to campus for Clemson’s second junior day of the year on Saturday, March 5.

The Clemson Insider recently caught up with North Oconee High School’s (Bogart, Ga.) Khalil Barnes, who recapped his first visit to Clemson’s campus in an exclusive interview.

“You couldn’t explain it,” Barnes said. “It exceeded a lot of the expectations I had for it. I feel like a lot of them, I know I haven’t talked to them. I had never talked to Coach (Tyler) Grisham. I never talked to Coach (Dab) Swinney. There were a lot of guys that I had never texted, but they didn’t have to look at my name tag or anything, they already knew who I was, knew the information about me.

“That tells me that them and the other coaching staff do their homework. I heard a lot of good things from the coaches. I really like that place. I think Clemson’s the place to be.”

What was Barnes’ favorite part of the visit?

“Probably when we either did P.A.W Journey or when Coach Swinney was talking at the end,” he said, “because he kind of explained to us his philosophy of things and telling us about their recruiting process. He does not take things fast and I respect that from them because they’ve never had the No. 1 recruiting class, but they’re consistently a top-five team in the nation every year. That just shows how he and his coaching staff are able to develop kids and turn them into great players at some point in their careers.”

Barnes spent the majority of his time on campus with Clemson co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Mickey Conn and cornerbacks coach Mike Reed.

“With Coach Reed, we just talked about how he said that he’s gonna come up during my spring practice,” Barnes said. “He was just asking me how I liked everything and he was keeping it real. We had a cornerback meeting and he was making sure I was engaged and understanding the way they play corner, as well as picking up on some techniques and stuff.”

When Barnes spoke with Swinney and Reed about a potential offer, they were explaining to him how Clemson’s process works. It was his first time on campus and he’s only been in contact with Reed now for a little over two months. 

According to Barnes, they were telling him that they don’t like to offer kids based on hype. They want to make sure they get the right type of guys in their program.

“I respect that,” he said. “It wasn’t no set day of when they’re gonna offer or everything. “It was kind of just them telling me that they want to get to know me more. They like my skill set, but they want to keep getting me on campus and make sure I’m interested in Clemson. We’ll kinda see how it goes from there.”

How does he feel about that?

“Obviously, they didn’t tell me that ‘If you come to Junior Day, then you’ll get a scholarship offer to Clemson,'” Barnes said. “It wasn’t nothing like that. But, I did have it in the back of my head that I’m going here and this is a really nice school. Obviously, I want to get the offer, but I’m glad that they didn’t lie to me. I liked that they were straight up.

“They can’t tell me the day they’re gonna offer. They can’t tell me when it’s gonna come. They can’t promise if it’s gonna happen. They set the ground rules of how it works for every recruit and every prospect. I respect that and I’m glad that they didn’t try to false advertise. They kept it straight up with me.”

Barnes texted Conn the day after his visit to tell him it was a humbling experience. The fast-rising defensive back has received a lot of national attention from Power Five schools and he went to Clemson and felt like he received a reality check.

“I’m not gonna take it personally because I can’t blame them,” he said. “They’re obviously doing something right. They’ve had 11 straight 10-win seasons, so it’s not like they’re getting the wrong guys. but it definitely did motivate me to go work and try to get to the point where I am on their radar and offer-ready for them.”

Barnes knows for a fact that he’ll be back on Clemson’s campus. Whether it’s for another spring practice or the team’s spring game on April 9, he’s unsure, but he’s already aiming to make a return trip to Tiger Town.

Regardless of an offer, the Tigers certainly did a lot to help themselves in Barnes’ recruitment earlier this month.

“That’s the first (visit) I’ve been on so far, but that set the standard,” he said. “I’m willing to put in 100%. If I get the opportunity to have a scholarship and play there, they’ll be in the conversation when it’s all said and done.”

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Top talent flocking to Tiger Town for Clemson’s ‘spring elite day’

Clemson is set to host a slew of top prospects today for its second junior day of the year, which the Tigers are dubbing their “spring elite day” for recruits in the class of 2023. Among the headliners expected to be in attendance is Central (Phenix …

Clemson is set to host a slew of top prospects today for its second junior day of the year, which the Tigers are dubbing their “spring elite day” for recruits in the class of 2023.

Among the headliners expected to be in attendance is Central (Phenix City, Ala.) five-star A.J. Harris, the nation’s No. 2 cornerback and No. 17 overall prospect in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder has made multiple trips to Tiger Town and is a priority target for the Tigers. Last September, he released a top seven comprised of Clemson, Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Georgia and Ohio State.

Harris will be joined on campus by a host of other talented defensive backs, including Harris’ teammate at Central, cornerback Quintavious Billingsley; Lake Mary (Fla.) four-star cornerback Braedan Marshall; Eagles Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) three-star cornerback Colton Hood; Daniel (Central, S.C.) cornerback Misun Kelley; North Oconee (Bogart, Ga.) cornerback Khalil Barnes; Loachapoka (Auburn, Ala.) cornerback Jacorious Hart; Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.) three-star safety Robert Billings; and A.C. Reynolds (Asheville, N.C.) safety Dashawn Stone.

Another headliner slated to be on hand for the spring elite day is Oceanside Collegiate Academy (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) four-star offensive lineman Monroe Freeling.

It will mark his first visit to Clemson since attending the Florida State game in late October of last year. He was also on campus last June to participate in the Dabo Swinney Camp, after which he picked up an offer from the Tigers.

Freeling said during a recent interview with The Clemson Insider that the Tigers “stand highly” in his recruitment heading into today’s visit.

“I really loved the culture there when I first went up and I’ve been maintaining a good relationship with (offensive line) coach (Thomas) Austin,” he said, “and I’m just looking forward to growing it some more when I get out there.”

Along with Clemson, which is heavily pursuing Freeling, he named Miami and Notre Dame as a couple of schools that have been recruiting him the hardest.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Freeling is the No. 1 prospect in South Carolina, No. 9 offensive tackle nationally and No. 82 overall prospect for the 2023 class.

South Point (Belmont, N.C.) four-star offensive lineman Sullivan Absher will also return to Clemson after picking up an offer from the Tigers in February – an offer that he told TCI he “had been working for, for a very long time.”  He previously traveled to Clemson twice during this past season – first for the Boston College game in October and then for the Wake Forest game in November.

Another big-time offensive lineman will be on campus today as well in Eagles Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) four-star tackle Zechariah Owens.

As for the defensive linemen expected to be among the junior day visitors, there are several prominent prospects, namely St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) four-star David Ojiegbe, Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville, Ala.) four-star Hunter Osborne, Rome (Ga.) four-star Stephiylan Green, Upson-Lee (Thomaston, Ga.) four-star T.J. Searcy and Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star A.J. Hoffler.

A bunch of other standout class of 2023 prospects are on the expected guest list for the spring elite day, as well, including Hickory Ridge (Harrisburg, N.C.) four-star wide receiver Christian Hamilton; Bridgeland (Cypress, Texas) four-star tight end Reid Mikeska; Denmark (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star linebacker Dee Crayton; Fairfax (Va.) four-star linebacker Tony Rojas; F.W. Buchholz (Gainesville, Fla.) three-star wide receiver Creed Whittemore; Maiden (N.C.) High School three-star wide receiver Chris Culliver; Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) three-star athlete Jordan Bass; Sumter (S.C.) athlete Zyeir Gamble; and Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.) running back Jarvis Green.

A few notable 2024 prospects are planning to visit Clemson today, too, in Carrollwood Day (Tampa, Fla.) four-star defensive back Tavoy Feagin, Weddington (Matthews, N.C.) tight end Brooks Mauk and Towers (Decatur, Ga.) wide receiver/cornerback Keshawn Weathers.

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Georgia DB in contact with Clemson, plans to visit next month

During January, a lot of college coaches came by North Oconee High School (Bogart, Ga.), which is home to an under-the-radar prospect in the 2023 class by the name of Khalil Barnes. Programs like Clemson, came by North Oconee to do their due …

During January, a lot of college coaches came by North Oconee High School (Bogart, Ga.), which is home to an under-the-radar prospect in the 2023 class by the name of Khalil Barnes. 

Programs like Clemson, came by North Oconee to do their due diligence and inquire about some prospects like Barnes.

Mickey Conn, who obviously, still has deep ties to the area from his days at Grayson High School, made his rounds on the recruiting trail last month, especially in the Peach State.

According to Barnes, his head coach, Tyler Aurandt, told him that Clemson’s co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach had asked about him. It’s all happened pretty quickly from there.

“I’ve talked to Coach Conn and Coach Reed,” Barnes told The Clemson Insider. “They like me as a DB. They like my size and they invited me to their elite day on March 5. I talked to Coach Conn a lot and I really like the guy.”

Barnes already has some ties to Conn and Clemson. He was teammates with Bubba Chandler, who signed with the Tigers as a part of Clemson’s 2021 recruiting class. Though in turn, he elected to pursue a professional baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, which drafted him in the third round of the MLB draft.

Additionally, Aurandt coached with Conn at Grayson. He served as the high school’s offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and running backs coach from 2011-14. Conn, of course, coached at Grayson from 2000-15.

“They said that he’s a really good guy and they like him,” Barnes said of Conn. “Right now, I feel like I talk to him the most out of any head coach, who’s recruiting me. I like him a lot. I will talk to him about football, but then it’ll go from football to just kind of talking about life. He tells me that they really want to get me up there on March 5.”

Barnes feels like almost every day he talks to Conn and he just started talking with Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed.

“Both show real good energy and from what I’ve heard from peers, they’re both really good guys at a really good place,” he added.

What does it mean to Barnes to hear from a school like Clemson?

“It’s big because we get a lot of stuff at our high school from Clemson, just from the culture and the way they run things, in respect to Dabo [Swinney] and how he does things,” he said. “If I get the offer, it’d be a blessing. I talked about it with Bubba [Chandler] every night and he was telling me how much he loves Clemson and how great of a school it is.”

Barnes has talked about Clemson’s history of developing defensive backs with his family. As soon as heard from Conn, he had a 30-minute conversation with his father about what Clemson has been able to produce the past couple of years with guys like A.J. Terrell, Trayon Mullen and Andrew Booth, Jr.

“It feels good knowing that I’m even on their radar right now,” Barnes said.

While Barnes is listed by some recruiting services as a wide receiver, Clemson is recruiting him as a defensive back, hence why Conn and Reed have served as his primary recruiters up until this point.

How would he describe himself as a player to someone who may not have seen him play before?

“A lot of things I post on Twitter, I call myself a playmaker,” Barnes said. “I feel like if it’s a third down in a game, everyone in the stadium could know I’m getting the ball, but I still feel like I can make a play no matter what, offensively. And then defensively, I feel that at corner, whoever the No. 1 receiver is, just let me follow him and take him out of the game. I just like the competition.”

Barnes visited for Austin Peay’s junior day, prior to the dead period. He’s hoping to take three or four visits in the month of March, with one of them being to Clemson. He’ll be in The Valley on March 5.

As far as his recruitment is concerned, Barnes holds offers from just Georgia State and Austin Peay. In addition to Clemson, he’s heard from programs like ECU, Liberty, Kansas State and Purdue. North Oconee had 20 schools come by last week, so it’s been a bit hectic, but Barnes is hopeful that this is a sign that his recruitment will take off sooner than later.

“We’re working for it and praying for it,” he said. “That’s what a lot of people are saying. I hope it does because I’m not one of those guys who likes distractions during the season. So, I’d rather everything happen kind of now and during the season, in the back of my head, just kind of know where I wanna go because for my senior year, I want to have a big year.”

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