It doesn’t take long to figure out that Jaylan Beckley is different from most other high school football recruits his age. He’s a thinking man’s man, which is the perfect way to be if you’re an offensive lineman.
Beckley (6-5 299) is a 2025 offensive tackle prospect out of Addison (TX) Trinity Christian Academy who camped at Clemson last week. The soon-to-be high school junior is one of the nation’s fastest risers at the position. He held just one FBS offer before April but now boasts offers from Clemson, Duke, Georgia, Houston, LSU, Memphis, and Mississippi State.
“The visit was great. Clemson is a beautiful place,” Beckley said of his trip to the Upstate. “The facilities are top-notch, for sure. I noticed a lot of really intentional wording on the walls. One phrase in particular that I saw more than once was, “as a man thinketh so is he.”
While other recruits are looking for photo opportunities or wanting to know what a school can send their way, Beckley instead took the time to figure out what that phrase means and why head coach Dabo Swinney would put that on a wall.
“Well, I know the phrase is from scripture. (Proverbs 23:7) To me, it’s just a reminder to focus on seeing myself as God sees me. If I can do that, there should be nothing that I can’t accomplish,” Beckley affirmed. “The conversations with the coaches were all really good. Authentic would be the word I use to describe the staff at Clemson. From Coach Swinney on down, everyone seemed to be very genuine and super down-to-earth. I love that. They remind me a lot of my high school coaching staff. God is first, then family, then football. They definitely made me feel at home and let me know that they want me to be a Tiger.”
It didn’t take the Tigers long to pull the trigger on an offer.
“Coach (Thomas) Austin gave me the offer, and he actually broke the news to me right in front of Coach (Garrett) Riley and my mom and uncle,” Beckley explained. “It was a really cool moment. It means so much to me to get an offer from Clemson because I know it’s not a common thing. It’s really an honor to be one of the few guys in the country that they see being a Clemson Tiger. It’s a big deal!”
Beckley hopes to make a return trip to campus.
“I would really love to return for a game in the fall and will likely bring more of my family with me,” he said. “My dad, my little sisters, even my grandparents want to see what Clemson is all about.”
Because he is thorough in his decision making, Beckley wants to be sure he weighs all the evidence before pulling the trigger on a commitment.
“I’m thinking that I’ll narrow down my Top-5 or so sometime this school year,” he said. “I would like to have my decision made by this time next year. But really, this is something I’ll have to pray about and just be careful not to rush through.”
