Clemson is taking notice of 2028 DT RJ Cruz (6-3 270) of Owings Mills, MD and his rising national profile. Cruz has seen several top programs take an early interest in his recruitment, with Penn State, Maryland, Florida State, and North Carolina being some of the top schools to throw an offer his way.
Cruz was on campus for Clemson’s matchup with SMU and got to spend some time with the recruiting staff and Nick Eason, who relayed some positive things that helped make his visit an incredibly positive one.
One of the items that surprised the Maryland native was the low number of prospects on hand for Saturday’s clash against SMU, which made the defender feel like a top priority over the weekend.
“I’m very impressed with Clemson,” Cruz said. “The fans were electric, and the stadium was special. I was very surprised with the fact that there were only 60 recruits. Clemson is very selective and made me feel like a high priority during the visit.”
The volume of high-caliber schools will increase as the season goes on, with Cruz planning visits with several more P4 programs.
“So far FSU, Penn State, Tennessee, and Maryland have been catching my eye and have been the most active in recruiting, but Clemson is hopefully in the mix now,” he explained. “I’m planning on going to visits at Tennessee, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Kentucky, and Indiana.”
Cruz is just getting his relationship with Clemson started, and the Tigers are rapidly moving up his list of top schools. He intends to be back in the spring and is looking forward to developing his relationship with the Tigers’ staff.
“I definitely have plans to go back to Clemson,” the 2028 prospect stated. “They are very high on my list. Most likely it’ll be in the spring. As you know, Clemson takes their time giving offers, so I fully expect to earn one in the future and continue a strong relationship.”
Through six games this season, Cruz was credited with 15 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks.