Dutch Fork DE Jaden Wuerth (6-3, 275) added three more offers last week, with Clemson, Maryland, and Virginia Tech joining his expanding board. Foremost among the offers was the one he got from Clemson defensive tackles coach Nick Eason during an in-home visit.
“Nick Eason came to my house for dinner on Tuesday night, and we were talking for a couple of hours, and he offered me at the end,” Wuerth said. “The offer just meant a lot. That was one I wanted for a while. I was just happy that they finally offered, and I was able to get it.”
Wuerth camped at Clemson last summer, and he was in for a couple of games last season, so Eason has a good feel for him and the type of defensive linemen he is.
“I play hard, and I’m tough. That’s what they need more of on their team,” Wuerth said. “He just sees me being able to come in and get playing time early and be a contributor early on.”
Wuerth said right now Clemson and South Carolina are deadlocked at the top of his list. With the Gamecocks, he’s been in regular contact with defensive tackles coach Travian Robertson. His recruiting efforts, and the fact that his former teammate, defensive end Julian Walker, is now there, make the Gamecocks a strong contender as well.
“They’ve been good,” Wuerth said. “Especially with Julian going there, that also makes it more attractive. They are a great program, and especially them hiring Deion Barnes. They’ve got some good guys in the building now.”
Wuerth has not taken any January visits to this point, but that will change later this week. He is going to NC State on Saturday and to USC on Sunday for junior day events. He will also head to Clemson for a junior day on March 7th.
Duke and Georgia Tech are the other two programs he cited as making a strong push for him. Some of his other offers are Miami, Vanderbilt, and Florida State.
Last season, Wuerth had 62 tackles with 18 tackles for loss and 14 sacks in helping Dutch Fork win another state championship.