One of Clemson’s top safety targets in the 2023 class trimmed down his list of more than two dozen offers last week.
Last Thursday, Selma (Ala.) High School four-star DaKaari Nelson dropped a top 11 featuring Clemson along with Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and UCF.
Though that list is subject to change, Nelson (6-3, 195) feels less recruiting-related stress now that he has a smaller group of schools to focus on.
“It feels great,” he said to The Clemson Insider of narrowing down his recruitment. “But just because I released the top schools, it can change, depending on how schools recruit me, from my final five or final six. But narrowing it down definitely got a lot of weight off my shoulders.”
Nelson – the nation’s No. 4 safety in the 2023 class, per Rivals – received an offer from Clemson during his first-ever visit to campus in late January for the Tigers’ elite junior day.
The hospitality that was shown to him and his family by Clemson’s staff during the visit is a big reason why the Tigers are in his top schools group.
“I included Clemson because the way they treated me while I was there, treated my family, it was definitely one of my family’s favorite visits,” Nelson said. “My sister loved it, my mom loved it, and they keep in close contact.”
According to Nelson, he is in contact with safeties coach/co-defensive coordinator Mickey Conn on a near-daily basis.
“We have a great relationship,” Nelson said. “We talk almost every day, and his message to me is how he plans on using my versatility and my size, and how he plans on perfecting my craft to get me to the next level.”
Nelson said Conn sees him fitting in on Clemson’s defense as a physical safety who can cover, as well as come down in the box and make tackles.
How does Nelson describe himself as a player?
“Definitely a very vocal player, a leader on and off the field, a very smart player and physical player,” he said.
In addition to Clemson, Nelson said he has been to Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Penn State and Tennessee so far this offseason.
While Nelson doesn’t have any more visits lined up right now, he said he’ll try to make it back to Clemson sometime this spring, perhaps for the April 9 spring game. Regardless of whether he returns to campus this spring, though, he plans to give the Tigers one of his official visits at some point down the road.
Nelson laid out the timeline for when he wants to further cut down his recruitment and then make his commitment.
“I plan on narrowing it down sometime before my senior season or early in the season,” he said, “and making my decision either a week or so before the early signing period or on the early signing period.”
Where does Clemson stand among the top schools in his recruitment right now?
“They’re high on my board,” he said.
Nelson is ranked as a top-100 national prospect (No. 80 overall) regardless of position in the 2023 class by Rivals, which considers him the No. 4 safety in the class and No. 10 prospect in the state of Alabama.
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