Clemson’s recruitment of Carter Jones (6-6, 290) has been defined by a series of personal gestures. That was the case once again during the Elite Retreat. Jones, an offensive tackle from Poquoson (VA), has been one of the Tigers’ long-standing targets since the summer. Matt Luke’s discovery of Jones in Dabo Swinney’s camp when he was a rising sophomore was the start of it all.
Since then, the Virginia prospect feels Clemson has done right by him and his family.
“What stood out the most was just Coach Swinney laying out the entire program and getting to hear about it, just a really in-depth explanation of the program,” Jones recalled coming off the Elite Retreat. “You know, the whole coaching staff is making me feel like a priority.”
Plenty of recruits will say they feel like a priority, but what does it actually mean? For Jones, it was a gesture the day before the Elite Retreat that made a tremendous impact.
“So, really just the attention from Coach Swinney and some other things with the attention to detail they put in, the amount of effort they put into my family and me,” Jones said. “They took my sister and me to a softball game because my sister’s dream is to play softball at Clemson.”
Beyond that, Luke and Swinney both took extended meetings with Jones, further emphasizing how high Jones sits on Clemson’s big board. All of these ingredients come together to create a recipe that has Clemson listed as Jones’ top favorite heading into the next several months.
Clemson may be the most appetizing dish in his recruitment, but other programs like Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, Penn State, Auburn, Ohio State, Georgia, Virginia Tech, and SMU are attempting to keep up with the Tigers. He will take an unofficial visit to Ohio State on March 28th.
As of right now, Clemson is set to welcome Jones back for an official visit on May 29th, setting up a critical weekend to land the final impression that could wrap up his recruitment. He’s hoping to take the rest of his official visits, but the Tigers will soon become a school that’s tough to turn down.
“They really are a huge priority and a huge factor in my recruitment,” he confessed. “Just because of the amount of effort and the culture they have there, and just the overall program that Coach Swinney has built. They already have a great culture, and what they’re doing there and what they’ve built has already really impressed me.”
Jones also has official visits set with Georgia for April 17th, Virginia Tech on April 24th, Tennessee on June 5th, and Penn State on June 12th.