The Clemson Insider recently spoke with a newly offered edge rusher, who is also a former teammate of freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik.
Westlake (Texas) four-star Colton Vasek was on Clemson’s campus on Monday, March 14 for an unofficial visit and subsequently left town with a scholarship offer in hand.
In an exclusive interview with TCI, Vasek — a 6-foot-6, 230-pound junior — detailed his first-ever visit to Clemson and what it ultimately means to earn an offer from the Tigers.
“It was absolutely…I loved it up there,” Vasek said. “It impressed me a ton, just seeing the campus, the facilities, meeting all the coaches and seeing what Clemson really had to offer. I really loved my time up there.”
Vasek suspected that an offer was coming. He wasn’t sure whether the Tigers were actually going to pull the trigger on an offer, but he was really, really hoping they would. Vasek had been talking to defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall and defensive coordinator Wesley Goodwin, so he had a good idea that it would be coming eventually.
And sure enough, it did.
“When I got offered, it meant a lot,” Vasek said. “Coach Swinney, they don’t offer a ton of people. They offer the fewest number of people in college football. It takes a lot more than being a good football player to be able to play there and for them to offer me, it really meant a lot.”
Where does Clemson currently stand in his recruitment?
Vasek indicated that the Tigers are definitely up there. He referenced how 247Sports’ recruiting services sometimes have certain programs on a prospect’s list of schools listed as “warm” and that’s pretty much how Clemson is with him. Vasek already can’t wait to get up there.
“I would go as far as saying that this is probably my favorite visit I’ve been on out of all the schools I’ve visited so far,” he said.
Vasek had a chance to see his former high school teammate while he was on campus.
“He was with me,” Vasek said of Klubnik. “I sat down and ate lunch with him over there too. He kind of showed me around with the other coaches when I was touring the other facilities and whatnot. It was cool seeing him.
“He told me that he loves it up there. I think their message is, Clemson is really like a family. Some other schools it’s like a plug-and-play, you go there and they’ll get you to the league. But at Clemson, they actually care about you becoming a better person overall in life, as well as you becoming a better football player. That really stuck out to me as well.”
What did Vasek hear from Clemson’s coaching staff while he was on campus?
“They were just pumped that I was up there,” he said. “Texas-to-South Carolina is a pretty big trip and I was supposed to come up Saturday. My flight ended up getting canceled, so they didn’t think I’d be able to come up, but then when I was able to come up (last) Monday, they were super excited to see me. It was good, we got to know a lot more about each other.
Vasek’s flight getting canceled ended up being a blessing in disguise.
He was able to see a lot more than the 50-plus prospects that were on campus come Saturday, March 12 got to see. He also got to take part in a photoshoot and received a lot more attention from Hall and Goodwin than he would’ve had he come that Saturday.
Both coaches have been in contact with Vasek for a few months now.
“I’ve talked to Coach Hall and Coach Goodwin a lot too lately,” he said. “I have good relationships with both of them. I love both of them a lot. I like them a lot. I talk to Coach Hall a little bit more I’d say, but I’m in good contact with both of them.”
Vasek believes that Clemson wanted to see him in person and really get to know him before the Tigers pulled the trigger on an offer, he said.
“They don’t throw out scholarships like some other schools do,” Vasek added. “It definitely means a lot more getting offered from them, as opposed from other schools because they take their time in the recruiting process and they really make sure that they offer the players that they really want and the ones that they can see being a great fit in the program.”
In addition to Clemson, Vasek has made visits to Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma. He’ll be visiting Texas A&M on March 26, going up to the University of Oregon on April 2 and the University of Alabama sometime next month.
Those will probably be the last three visits Vasek will go on and then he’ll start taking official visits. Without directly saying it, Vasek hinted that Clemson very well could be getting an official visit from him in the future.
What would Clemson be getting in a player like Vasek?
“I would tell them that they can rely on me,” he said. “They’re never gonna see me walking around on the field. I’m always gonna be that high-energy guy that’s working to get better, working to get stronger and I’m never gonna be the one to give up on my team.”
The rising senior is rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals, the 247Sports Composite and 247Sports, the latter of which ranks him as the No. 29 edge rusher and No. 334 overall prospect in the 2023 class.
Absolutely loved my time in Clemson. Clemson’s really a special place. Can’t wait to get back. #GoTigers🐅🐅 @coachski_ @WesleyGoodwin https://t.co/3y6JIRTi6f pic.twitter.com/4sfiU1ZePW
— Colton Vasek (@ColtonVasek) March 16, 2022
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