Tag: Mazeo Bennett

In December, as part of its 2022 recruiting class, Clemson signed a pair of standouts from Greenville (S.C.) High School – tight end Josh Sapp and offensive lineman Collin Sadler.

Another talented prospect from Greenville High that the Tigers have their eye on is Mazeo Bennett, a speedy and explosive four-star wide receiver in the 2024 class.

Bennett spoke with The Clemson Insider recently and gave the latest on his recruitment, as well as what he’s been hearing from Clemson wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator Tyler Grisham.

“I just talked to Coach Grisham last week,” Bennett said. “So, we’re planning to get back down there sometime soon. It went good. He just talked about Clemson and what they see in me and how much he wants to get me in front of Dabo (Swinney) this summer.”

“I just feel like our relationship has grown,” Bennett added regarding his relationship with Clemson’s wide receivers coach. “He tries to get in contact with me every time that he can. We talk on the phone. We can talk on the phone for hours, just talking about life and football and anything that can pop up in the conversation, we could talk about it smoothly.”

Bennett was last on Clemson’s campus for an unofficial visit dating back to March 12. He’s planning on returning to Tiger Town sometime this summer. He’s trying to stay away from camps, but if Clemson would like to see him work out, it’s something he’ll have to consider.

With June 1 looming, what has Bennett heard regarding a potential offer?

“He has to wait,” Bennett said. “I respect Coach Grisham for that because he definitely plays by the rules and he tells me that straight up. But, the main thing Coach Grisham is, ‘We want you. We’re interested in you. Just keep doing what you’re doing.’ The main thing he says every time we’re on the phone is he’s got to get me in front of Coach Swinney.”

That level of honesty goes a long way.

“That level of honesty means the most,” he said. “When you keep it honest with me and don’t sugar coat it, that means the most.”

“Just seeing my teammates be patient with it, it just made me want to be patient with it,” Bennett continued. “They didn’t rush it, they didn’t force it, they just let it come. I definitely understand it and I understand it more when my teammates talk to me about they recruiting process and how they feel about it.”

Clemson co-defesnive coordinator and safeties coach Mickey Conn recently stopped by Greenville High School, but Bennett indicated that the visit wasn’t necessarily on his behalf. However, he did say that Grisham is supposed to come down and watch practice sometime in the near future.

Right now, Bennett is enjoying the process. He’s taking his recruitment slow but would like to make a decision next summer, prior to his senior season. He mentions South Carolina, Miami and Tennessee as the schools that are definitely recruiting him the hardest.

Bennett has scheduled a visit to Tennessee on May 28. In addition to Clemson and some of the programs mentioned above, Bennett’s looking to visit Ohio State, Louisville and North Carolina.

He feels like being able to see some of these schools this summer will help puts things in further perspective, as far as his recruitment is concerned.

One of the biggest things for Bennett this summer is seeing if Clemson pulls the trigger on a potential scholarship offer.

“It would mean a lot,” he said. “Clemson’s the hometown school. They would definitely be taken into serious consideration. They right down the street from my house, My family could come to watch me play almost every Saturday, so that would mean a lot”

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The Clemson Insider recently caught up with an in-state wide receiver prospect.

Greenville (S.C.) 2024 WR Mazeo Bennett spent 15-20 minutes on the phone with Tyler Grisham last week, as the two continue to grow their relationship together.

GREAT conversation with @Coach_Grisham tonight! 🙏🏾 #allin #GoTigers 🐅🐅

— Mazeo “MJ” Bennett 🥷🏾 (@TheMazeoBennett) January 12, 2022

“Me and Coach Grisham we met at the Clemson game, that was our first time meeting,” Bennett said, “and every time we talk, it’s just like if I talked to him every day. It’s cool conversation. The conversation flows. It’s never a dull moment. We just talk and talk ‘til we gotta get off the phone.”

Bennett couldn’t find words to accurately describe his relationship with Clemson’s wide receivers coach. He used the word “great,” but believes at this point, it’s beyond that.

“His message was to me just keep doing what I’m doing,” Bennett said. “He loves what he’s seeing. The whole staff loves what they’re seeing. They want me. They’re interested in me. He was like “just keep being who I am.”

What does that mean to Bennett?

“It means everything,” he said, “coming from Clemson, that’s a prestigious school. For them to be telling me that they’re really interested in me, means a lot.” 

He’s obviously aware of the program’s history of developing wide receivers and is quite fond of a former Clemson standout and current NFL superstar.

“I love watching DeAndre Hopkins,” Bennett said. “I mean, for me, my dream is to go to the NFL, but sometimes to me, every now and again, in the NFL it doesn’t seem like they’re having fun. It just seems like it’s their job.

For me, every time I watch DeAndre Hopkins, it seems like he’s having fun. Everything he does, he wants to be great at it. If you know his story, we’re from the same state. If you know his story and his upbringing, all you can say is ‘Wow.’ So, that’s one player I feel like I actually watch, study and try to be like.”

While Bennett is speedy and explosive, he knows that blocking is a key element of his game as a receiver.

“I’d describe myself as a go-getter, as a dog,” he said. “If you watch my film, the first 2-3 minutes of my film is just straight-up blocking. If you can’t block as a receiver, you are not doing your job. You can’t get the ball 100% of the time.”

Bennett says that he’ll be at Clemson quite a bit this summer. By then, both of his high school teammates — Collin Sadler and Josh Sapp — will officially be enrolled at Clemson.

With that being said, what did he learn from Sapp and Sadler about Clemson as he watched from afar while they underwent their own recruitment process?

“That everything that Clemson does is top-tier from the food to the communication to everything,” he said. “It’s just all top tier.”

A 6-foot, 165-pound sophomore, Bennett has collected early offers from South Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia Tech and Coastal Carolina.

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