Tag: Kyle Richardson

Clemson enters fall camp whole again at tight end

Clemson’s tight end room is in a different place heading into fall camp. The personnel at the position is largely the same. Braden Galloway has moved on after four years in the program, but every other scholarship player at the position that was on …

Clemson’s tight end room is in a different place heading into fall camp.

The personnel at the position is largely the same. Braden Galloway has moved on after four years in the program, but every other scholarship player at the position that was on last year’s roster is back. And, most importantly, they’re available.

This spring, the tight end room was significantly thinned out with Davis Allen and Sage Ennis recovering from shoulder and knee injuries, respectively. That left sophomore Jake Briningstool, sixth-year senior Luke Price and some walk-ons to get all of the reps at the position.

Four months later, tight ends coach Kyle Richardson said the group is whole again.

“It’s going to be eight guys in that tight end room and they’re all going to be in fall camp,” said Richardson, who will also serve as the Tigers’ passing-game coordinator this season.

Richardson said his objective now is to figure out each best fits into the offense, particularly the top four of Allen, Ennis, Briningstool and Price. 

Allen, Clemson’s top draft prospect at the position, is beginning his first season atop the depth chart after taking over that spot last season after Galloway sustained a season-ending injury. The 6-foot-6, 250-pounder finished third on the team in receptions last season (28) and tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions (3).

Ennis, a third-year sophomore, could take on his biggest role yet as the No. 2 option at the position, though he’ll have to hold off a former top-100 recruit in Briningstool, perhaps the best pure receiving tight end on the roster at 6-6 and 235 pounds, for that spot on the depth chart. Meanwhile, Price, a former walk-on linebacker, is the “grandpa” in the room, Richardson said, who’s played in 25 career games.

“You’ve got those four guys that have got all kinds of different levels of experience, and all four of those guys bring something different to the table,” Richardson said. “And what we have to do as coaches is find ways to mix and match their strengths in order to make our offense go. And that’s kind of my job is to go through fall camp.”

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Rising Palmetto State athlete on Clemson’s radar after ‘successful’ Swinney Camp performance

Clemson was Marshall Pritchett’s first stop of the summer. The Class of 2025 athlete out of Georgia’s Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School didn’t know what to expect at the June 2 session of Dabo Swinney Camp. He had been playing quarterback at his …

Clemson was Marshall Pritchett’s first stop of the summer.

The Class of 2025 athlete out of Georgia’s Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School didn’t know what to expect at the June 2 session of Dabo Swinney Camp. He had been playing quarterback at his Charleston-based high school and hadn’t run routes in a few months.

“I had a little bit of interest from Clemson, but that kind of through Tony Elliott,” Pritchett told The Clemson Insider in a phone interview earlier this month. “I kind of went into (camp) like it was a clean slate like I had something to prove.”

Once Pritchett began doing individual drills with the tight ends, he said he was placed in the “B” group. It wasn’t long before he moved up the ladder again.

“We started running routes — stuff on air,” he said. “They really liked how I got out of my breaks and Coach (Kyle) Richardson moved me up to the top group. Because of the weather that day at Clemson, a lot of kids were cramping in our cramp. A lot of kids were going and getting water a lot; some of them couldn’t handle the heat. Being from Charleston, I could definitely handle the heat.

“When I got moved to the top group, there were probably 9-10 tight ends in the group, but when I first got moved up, there were only 2-3 still running routes. Like I said, many kids couldn’t handle the heat. So, I got a lot of really good reps.”

Pritchett didn’t know what to expect when he first moved up to the top group, but he started winning just about every rep. He started to have great confidence. Sometimes he’d win a rep, but he’d need a little bit of fixing from Richardson, who Pritchett said helped him a lot, as well as Tajh Boyd and some of Clemson’s current players.

“Having that feedback from the coaches helps a lot,” Pritchett said. “I would say out of all the camps I went to, how active the players were at the Clemson camp was amazing and they were super great. I was able to connect with them. It really made the competition that much better. I made one play on the sideline where I jumped up and caught it and I heard (sophomore running back) Will Shipley yell, ‘Let’s Go!’ Just to hear stuff like that from top-tier college football players is great. That type of energy is what made that camp so great, so special and I really enjoyed my time at Clemson.”

Pritchett gained a lot of confidence and a lot of coaching during his time at last month’s Swinney Camp. Richardson taught Pritchett a little cone drill that he’s implemented into his workout regimen and he’s been doing that drill just about every day for a month and a half.

“I took a lot of stuff from that camp and I used it throughout the summer to help me at other camps,” he said. “I’m gonna use some of that stuff this season. I’ll probably use some of that stuff for the rest of my life. Just little tweaks to my game that I didn’t know. Stuff I was messing up like getting out of breaks or throwing head fakes at the top of my routes. Just little things like that, that I could never diagnose myself that college coaches were able to see, which was really great.”

What type of feedback did Pritchett receive from Richardson?

“After the camp, he really liked what he saw,” Pritchett said of Clemson’s tight ends coach/passing game coordinator. “I went to shake his hand and he said, ‘You’re on my radar now. We can’t officially talk until Sept. 1 (that was before Pritchett announced he would be reclassifying to the class of 2025). You’re on our radar now because of how you played (June 2) and you should be proud of that.’”

Pritchett spoke highly of Richardson and felt like there was an immediate connection there. With that, he’s hopeful that they can continue to build a relationship, which may take some time now that Pritchett’s a rising sophomore again.

He imagines that Clemson will play a role in his recruitment going forward. Pritchett feels like the way he played at camp, it’s gonna be up to him and how he performs the next couple of seasons. He plans on coming back to participate in future Swinney Camps and will camp at Clemson as much as he can.

“I’d love to continue building my relationship and I feel like with how I played at the camp this summer, it’s gonna be up to me when I put the pads on,” he said. “I think I solidified a nice spot in my recruitment with Clemson. I have interest from them now, which is what any athlete goes into a camp, they want to be able to get in front of the eyes of college coaches and I feel like I did that at a really high level.

“It was very successful and I think that Clemson will definitely continue to recruit me, but it’s gonna be up to me and how I play when the pads come on. I’d love to come up for a game.”

Pritchett went into his decision to reclassify, which he said had to do with his older brother, Lawson, tearing his ACL. He and his family felt like Lawson deserved to play his senior season and not have to come in and redshirt during his first year of college. Instead, they looked at a school called Rabun Gap, which allowed them to reclassify, as Lawson will not sit out during his would-be junior season.

Marshall didn’t see any downside for himself. After playing his sophomore season in Charleston, he didn’t have a true position, which put him behind the eight-ball. Now that he’s come into this wide receiver/tight end role, he thinks that’ll be beneficial to him and his recruitment going forward. He’ll have a full year to bulk up, focus on getting in and out of breaks, getting better as a receiver and also have another year of playing with his brother, which is the real kicker.

— Photo for this article courtesy of @MarshallPritch on Twitter.

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.

 

Freshman TE, son of former Tiger talks transition to Clemson

Josh Sapp has been to Clemson countless times in the past, but being a player is a different experience. The freshman tight end from nearby Greenville (S.C.) High School is the son of former Clemson and NFL linebacker Patrick Sapp. The transition …

Josh Sapp has been to Clemson countless times in the past, but being a player is a different experience. The freshman tight end from nearby Greenville (S.C.) High School is the son of former Clemson and NFL linebacker Patrick Sapp.

The transition has been so far, so good.

“It’s been great meeting all my teammates and getting close with them — some of them I’ve been talking to before,” Josh told The Clemson Insider this past Sunday at an NIL collective appearance in Clemson this past Sunday. “Really just been adjusting with school and the practice schedule and learning new plays and stuff like that.”

While Josh committed to now-former offensive coordinator/tight ends coach, Tony Elliott, it hasn’t taken long for him to embrace Kyle Richardson.

“Coach Richardson, he’s a great dude, man,” Josh said of his new position coach. “He’s a straightforward coach that”ll really help you out with anything with football or outside of football. I’m enjoying it and we’re building a great relationship so far.”

Clemson’s tight ends coach/passing game coordinator spoke at length during a media appearance last Tuesday inside the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex. Shortly after sitting down, The Clemson Insider asked Richardson about the lone freshman in his room.

“Sapp looks great,” Richardson said back on Tuesday, July 19. “He came in looking awesome. He, obviously, did some things on his own and took that seriously…We’re not in the workouts with him and doing those types of things, but he’s come in and he’s jumped right into the classroom academically…he’s doing great. Really excited about being able to get my hands on him and work with him here in August and he’s got a bright future here as a Clemson Tiger.”

While Josh hasn’t had a chance to work directly with Richardson, he has been able to embrace his teammates in his position group. Since enrolling at Clemson earlier this summer, Josh has kept close with veterans like Davis Allen and Luke Price, both of which have helped him learn the intricacies of the playbook and what he should be focusing on as a freshman.

“We got some great guys in the tight end room,” he said. “It’s been smooth learning from those guys. They’ve been real helpful.”

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.

 

 

What We Heard: Kyle Richardson

Kyle Richardson is entering his first season as Clemson’s passing game coordinator and tight ends coach. On Tuesday, Richardson detailed his perspective on the coaching transitions for the Clemson offense and how he sees the Tigers’ offensive …

Kyle Richardson is entering his first season as Clemson’s passing game coordinator and tight ends coach.

On Tuesday, Richardson detailed his perspective on the coaching transitions for the Clemson offense and how he sees the Tigers’ offensive schemes becoming more streamlined this upcoming season.

Question: People may look at the staff roster and say there are new guys all over the place, but for you guys, it seems like you are working around people you have been working around for a while for everybody. That has to be a good feeling?

Richardson: “You know, I’ve been here seven years and I’m going on my seventh season, and the guys that I’m working with as position coaches… Tyler Grisham, I have worked with in some capacity for seven years. I’ve known CJ Spiller since he was running down that hill because I was in the stadium watching. So, I feel like I’ve known CJ forever, but I’ve got a great relationship with Spiller. I have worked with (Brandon) Streeter for seven years in some capacity and I knew Streeter before that when I was a head coach and he was recruiting for Clemson. Thomas (Austin), I’ve been with Thomas for five out of the seven years, because we would take our families to FCA camp in the years he was not here, so it kept our relationship going. All the support staff, they have been here, whether they’ve been here for a year or two or longer. So, for us, it has all been easy transitions, but on the outside, it looks like it all has been hitting the fan and where is it falling? And for us, it’s just like I need you to move to that seat and that seat, but we are all moving to the same seats in the same room, just at a different table.”

Q: In the spring you introduced some new receiving concepts and passing game concepts. When you went back and analyzed it, what did you find and do you think you will continue to use some of those things in the fall?

Richardson: “For us, we didn’t want to throw the offense away or design a new offense. Did we fall on some hard times? Yes. We have to get better, but for us, it was not just starting back from scratch. With Coach (Chad) Morris being here when he was here and Jeff (Scott) and Tony (Elliott) kind of taking it, what happens is it can kind of become a hodgepodge because everyone is bringing new ideas to the table and they kind of dump on top of one another, and I think that’s when me and Streeter sat down and thought what kind direction do we want to go now. Him as the offensive coordinator and me as the passing coordinator, it was like let’s just clean up some things. Let’s look at things we don’t do anymore or haven’t done in years and let’s put them to the side and let’s get a core group of passing concepts we do a bunch or we need to do more. Let’s focus on that. Our offense hasn’t changed, our passing hasn’t changed. Have we tweaked some things within core concepts? Yes. But at the end of the day, we haven’t changed our passing game, we haven’t incorporated a new passing game. […]”

Richardson went on to discuss the streamlined approach to the offense and how that will impact the tempo of the offense in the upcoming season when it comes to efficiency and effectiveness. Richardson discussed the importance of shaping the guy’s mentality and ability to think “fast” pre-snap to be able to diversify the options post-snap. He believes this will be a pivotal point in the offense’s effectiveness this season.

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What’s the next step for Briningstool?

le Richardson had a chance to work closely with Jake Briningstool this spring. While Clemson’s tight ends coach/passing game coordinator watched from afar during Briningstool’s freshman season, he acquired a great deal of knowledge by getting to …

le Richardson had a chance to work closely with Jake Briningstool this spring.

While Clemson’s tight ends coach/passing game coordinator watched from afar during Briningstool’s freshman season, he acquired a great deal of knowledge by getting to know the player and the person since he assumed his current role in December.

Richardson acknowledged Tuesday what the next step is for the development of the sophomore tight end out of Brentwood, Tenn.

“Briningstool, the biggest thing with him is just consistency,” Richardson said. “He’s a young guy that again, kind of got thrown into the fire at times because of injuries and probably was not ready at times. But, his potential is through the roof. His athleticism and what he brings to us in that tight end room and what he brings to the opposing defense and matchup problems is through the roof.”

Consistency is a word that Richardson kept coming back to.

Of course, that’s normal for a player like Briningstool, who was a unanimous four-star prospect and a unanimous top-100 national player, hailing from Ravenwood High School.

“For some of these guys that were big-time recruits and they dominate so much in high school,” Richardson continued, “and then they get here and think that it’s gonna be just as easy as that. That’s across the board at a lot of positions.

“So, he’s just got to be consistent. He got banged up a little bit in the spring, but he’s come back from that well. All the reports from the weight room — I’m just pleased with everything that he’s doing right now. Again, just excited to see what he does in Year 2, but he has a chance to be special.”

Dear Old Clemson’s first event is July 24. Now there is a new way to support Clemson student-athletes. Come out and meet the freshmen football players at this meet and greet autograph session. If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events. Purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Up-and-coming TE loves Richardson, working for Clemson offer

An up-and-coming tight end prospect from the Peach State, who has seen his recruitment take off this spring and summer while picking up multiple major scholarship offers, participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp last month. Milton (Ga.) High School’s …

An up-and-coming tight end prospect from the Peach State, who has seen his recruitment take off this spring and summer while picking up multiple major scholarship offers, participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp last month.

Milton (Ga.) High School’s Ryan Ghea – a 6-foot-5, 217-pound rising sophomore in the class of 2025 – camped at Clemson on June 2.

“Camp at Clemson was by far the most detailed and challenging I went to in (the summer),” he told The Clemson Insider.

Clemson tight ends coach Kyle Richardson during pregame of the Cheez-It Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. Wednesday, December 29, 2021. Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider

Ghea also camped at schools such as Georgia, Ohio State and UConn.

During the Swinney Camp, he got some one-on-one time with Clemson tight ends coach Kyle Richardson.

“I love Coach,” Ghea said of Richardson. “He is real and very specific on his communication to me. I know what to work on and what he is thinking. I like that type of coaching.”

Ghea regularly stays in touch with Richardson, who told Ghea that he’s planning to watch him play in person this season.

“Coach and I connect often and talk about my progress,” Ghea said. “We have built a connection and he said he was caching one of my games this year.”

Indiana, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Liberty and UConn all offered Ghea in May before Florida State and Ohio State joined his quickly growing offer list in June.

How does Ghea describe himself as a tight end?

“My route running and speed are my strengths,” he said, “but I can put my hand in the dirt to block on the line or at the next level.”

Ghea has his sights on hopefully scoring an offer from Clemson down the road.

“Clemson is a powerhouse program, and I would be honored to receive an offer,” he said. “Going to keep working to earn the offer.”

–Photo courtesy of Ryan Ghea on Twitter (@RyanGhea2025)

Dear Old Clemson’s first event is July 24.  Now there is a new way to support Clemson student athletes.  Come out and meet the freshmen football players at this meet and greet autograph session.  If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events.  Purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Clemson ‘definitely up there’ for top Midwest TE after ‘big’ offer

Last week, Clemson extended an offer to a highly touted tight end prospect from the Midwest who participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp at the beginning of this month. After working out during the first day of the camp on June 1, Marian Central …

Last week, Clemson extended an offer to a highly touted tight end prospect from the Midwest who participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp at the beginning of this month.

After working out during the first day of the camp on June 1, Marian Central Catholic High School (Woodstock, Illinois) four-star Christian Bentancur announced the offer from the Tigers on Friday, June 17, following a conversation with tight ends coach Kyle Richardson.

“It was big knowing how Clemson recruits,” Bentancur said to The Clemson Insider of receiving the offer, “and I was offered on the phone by Coach Richardson.”

Based on how the Swinney Camp went for Bentancur and what he heard from Richardson there, Bentancur told TCI recently that he was optimistic about his chances of earning an offer from Clemson, and he was right.

Bentancur (6-5, 235) became just the second tight end in the 2024 class to report an offer from Clemson, joining Charlotte (N.C.) Catholic four-star Jack Larsen.

The nation’s No. 14 tight end in the 2024 class, per 247Sports, Bentancur is well aware that the Tigers are judicious with their offers and don’t just hand out offers to anyone – and that’s something that stands out to him when he thinks about Clemson as one of his college options.

“Clemson is an elite school for sure that has the toughest recruiting style out of most the schools in the nation,” he said.

Bentancur is already planning a return trip to Tiger Town after picking up the offer.

“I will be back for either a game or sometime in the winter for another visit,” he said.

Clemson joined schools such as Ohio State, Florida, Florida State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Stanford, Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin and Tennessee, to name some, on Bentancur’s offer list.

Where do the Tigers stand with him right now after pulling the trigger on the offer?

“After the Clemson offer, they are definitely up there on my list,” he said, “and I’m definitely looking forward to building our relationship!”

Bentancur is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 5 prospect in the state of Illinois, No. 14 tight end nationally and No. 236 overall prospect regardless of position for the 2024 class.

As a sophomore last season, he recorded 53 receptions for 1,165 yards and 16 touchdowns.

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.

Carolinas TE enjoys ‘amazing’ Swinney Camp, planning return visit to Clemson

After making an unofficial visit to Clemson in early March to tour the facilities and take in one of the football team’s spring practices, a standout tight end prospect from the Tar Heel State returned to Tiger Town for the Dabo Swinney Camp last …

After making an unofficial visit to Clemson in early March to tour the facilities and take in one of the football team’s spring practices, a standout tight end prospect from the Tar Heel State returned to Tiger Town for the Dabo Swinney Camp last weekend.

Weddington High School (Matthews, N.C.)’s Brooks Mauk – a 6-foot-3, 215-pound rising junior in the 2024 class – participated in the three-day session of the Swinney Camp from June 10-12.

“Camp was amazing!” Mauk told The Clemson Insider. “As Coach Swinney said, this was a working camp. We didn’t do 40s (40-yard dashes) or verticals (vertical jumps). We did football. A lot of individual reps with intense coaching. It was great!”

Mauk’s father accompanied him to the Swinney Camp.

“My dad came with me and had a great time too,” he said.

Matthews (N.C.) Weddington 2024 tight end Brooks Mauk works out during Dabo Swinney’s football camp Saturday, June 11, 2022. Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider

Mauk is pleased with how he performed while working out and competing at the Swinney Camp and received positive feedback from Clemson tight ends coach Kyle Richardson, who provided Mauk with tips that he can use to help improve his game as a tight end.

“I felt like I had a really nice camp,” he said of his camp performance. “Coach Richardson was happy with my performance, which is the main thing. He gave me some really good pointers that will help my game right away.”

Along with Clemson, which stopped by Mauk’s high school during the spring evaluation period, other ACC programs like Wake Forest and Virginia Tech have shown interest in Mauk, who will also camp at UNC Charlotte at the end of June.

TCI asked Mauk if his time at the Swinney Camp gave him a better feel for where he stands with the Tigers at this point in his recruiting process.

“We didn’t have an opportunity to talk in-depth on recruiting,” he said. “Coach Richardson said I did great at camp. Need to keep focusing on getting bigger and stronger. I’ll be coming back this fall for a visit.”

In addition to Clemson, Mauk named Wake Forest and Virginia Tech as a couple of other schools he’s setting up visits to for this fall.

What would a future offer from the Tigers mean to the talented Tar Heel State tight end?

“To receive an offer from Clemson down the road would be incredible,” he said to TCI this spring. “To have an opportunity to learn, grow and be mentored in that program would be a dream come true.”

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.

‘Amazing’ Swinney Camp experience exceeded expectations of top Midwest TE

A highly touted tight end prospect from the Midwest made his way to Clemson for the first session of the Dabo Swinney Camp on June 1 and came away very impressed after his time at the camp. It was the first-ever trip to Tiger Town for Marian Central …

A highly touted tight end prospect from the Midwest made his way to Clemson for the first session of the Dabo Swinney Camp on June 1 and came away very impressed after his time at the camp.

It was the first-ever trip to Tiger Town for Marian Central Catholic High School (Woodstock, Illinois) four-star Christian Bentancur, who is ranked as the nation’s No. 14 tight end in the 2024 class by 247Sports and really enjoyed participating in the camp.

In fact, his expectations coming into it were exceeded.

“It went amazing,” Bentancur told The Clemson Insider regarding his camp experience. “Went better than expected and was very fun!”

Bentancur, who boasts more than two dozen scholarship offers, is on the Tigers’ recruiting radar and had been communicating a little bit with tight ends coach Kyle Richardson prior to attending the camp.

According to Bentancur, Richardson and Clemson’s coaches seemed to like what they saw from the 6-foot-5, 235-pound rising junior when he worked out.

Woodstock (Ill.) Marian Central Catholic 2024 4-star TE Christian Bentancur during the morning session on Day 1 of the Dabo Swinney Camp Wednesday, June 1

“Coach Richardson and the rest of the coaching staff seemed very interested and impressed,” Bentancur said. “Big things are coming soon!”

Based on how the camp went for Bentancur and his conversations with Richardson, Bentancur is optimistic about his chances of adding Clemson to his offer list that already includes schools such as Oklahoma, Oregon, Stanford, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Iowa State, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisville, Virginia Tech and Cincinnati.

“I feel like my chances are pretty good after talking to Coach Richardson,” Bentancur said of potentially earning an offer from Clemson. “Hopefully we’ll see it in the near future!”

Clemson certainly piques Bentancur’s interest, especially after his first trip to campus and outstanding Swinney Camp experience, and he would love to add the Tigers to his offer list.

“It is definitely an elite program with a lot to offer with a beautiful area,” he said, “and the people are great.”

Bentancur is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 5 prospect in the state of Illinois, No. 14 tight end nationally and No. 235 overall prospect regardless of position for the 2024 class.

As a sophomore last season, he recorded 53 receptions for 1,165 yards and 16 touchdowns.

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.

Clemson made a ‘very huge impact’ on Pennsylvania TE’s recruitment during official visit

The Clemson Insider recently spoke with a newly-offered tight end, who made his first trip to Clemson for the program’s official visit weekend. Clemson has quickly and not so quietly made quite the splash in Archbishop Wood High School (Warminster, …

The Clemson Insider recently spoke with a newly-offered tight end, who made his first trip to Clemson for the program’s official visit weekend.

Clemson has quickly and not so quietly made quite the splash in Archbishop Wood High School (Warminster, Pa.) three-star tight end Markus Dixon’s recruitment. Talking with TCI in a phone interview Wednesday, Dixon detailed his official visit to Tiger Town this past weekend and gave the latest on his recruitment, which could soon be nearing a conclusion.

“It was great,” Dixon said regarding his official visit experience. “I think Clemson made a very huge impact in my recruitment.”

What stood out to Dixon during his first-ever visit to Clemson, is how the program is very family-oriented. He feels like that also speaks for what the team values off the field, including academics.

Dixon reported an offer from the school he was officially visiting on Friday, June 3.

“It was a heavy offer,” he said. “It’s not just any Power Five school offering me. This is a team that’s almost consistently top-four every year. I think that this is a great program and them offering just really shows my skills and abilities and how they’d love to use me.”

Dixon thinks that he will be making his college decision next week. He doesn’t have any more official visits lined up at the moment and said that his Clemson one was the only one he planned on taking as of now.

“They’re definitely heavy on my list,” Dixon said when asked where the Tigers currently stand in his recruitment.

Among 31 official visitors, Dixon and First Baptist Academy (Naples, Fla.) four-star Olsen Patt Henry were the only two tight ends on campus this past weekend. Henry announced his verbal commitment to Clemson on Tuesday.

Dixon said that Clemson’s coaching staff did talk about him and Henry being the only tight ends that they’re heavily interested in.

“Hanging with him throughout the whole weekend, he was just a great person to be around,” Dixon said of Henry. “We haven’t even played together, so I think that just says a lot about his character.”

The other tight end that Dixon got to spend time around during his official visit was Sage Ennis, who served as his player host for the weekend.

“He’s a funny guy with a wholesome spirit,” Dixon said of the Clemson redshirt sophomore tight end. “I can definitely see myself just learning the game from him. Just being around him was pretty cool.”

Between the coaching staff, tight ends coach Kyle Richardson, Ennis and everything the program has to offer and more, Clemson certainly made a huge impression on Dixon and his family. He was accompanied by his mother and two siblings, who also thoroughly enjoyed their first stay in South Carolina. 

When it comes time for Dixon to make his eventual college decision, he told us that he’s looking for a program that will take care of him on and off the field, especially coaching staff-wise. He’s also looking for a program that he feels will help develop him and his game as a whole all-around tight end.

While it won’t be an ultimate deciding factor in his decision, Dixon will certainly look at the quarterback position. This past weekend, he was able to spend a lot of time with the leader of Clemson’s 2023 class in Briarwood Christian (Birmingham, Ala.) five-star quarterback commit, Christopher Vizzina.

“I was excited about being around CV,” Dixon said. “I was around CV a lot this weekend. He’s actually a great person. I’m looking forward to building a real tight chemistry between us if that were to happen. He’s just a great quarterback and I’m real excited for what the future holds for him.

That future could be together, but that’s up to Dixon, who very well could be making his college decision come next week.

Dixon (6-5, 230) is the nation’s No. 24 tight end in the 2023 class, according to the 247Sports Composite.

— Photo for this article courtesy of @markusd1xon on Instagram.

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