STRecruiting: 2028 Georgia LB Jay Schell is impressed by what he’s seen from Tom Allen and the Tigers

Clemson has identified and offered some of its top prospects in the 2028 class, and a priority linebacker target has been a frequent visitor and has become very familiar with the Tigers during his recruitment.

Rabun Gap (GA) linebacker Jay Schell (6-3, 214) has been on Clemson’s radar for quite a while, visiting Clemson numerous times for recruiting events and game days. Schell’s visit on June 1st ended with an offer from the Tigers, an expected result after being heavily recruited by Clemson during the spring.

Defensive coordinator Tom Allen and linebackers coach Ben Boulware have handled Schell’s recruitment, allowing him to build a strong relationship with both coaches. His most recent visit to the Upstate started with a coach’s staff meeting, and that gathering ended with Clemson’s first offer in the ’28 class.

“My relationship with them has been great. They told me all spring that I am their priority at linebacker and for this class,” Schell explained. “They certainly backed it up on June 1st when Coach (Dabo) Swinney brought me and my family into the staff meeting and said he wanted me to be the first offer of the 2028 class. It was an honor and something very special to me.”

Schell’s visits to Clemson and knowledge of the program seem to have the Tigers in a good spot at this point, and he believes Allen’s defense suits his style of play.

“I greatly respect and appreciate the way Coach Swinney runs his program and their winning tradition,” he said. “I do believe that Coach Allen’s scheme would be a good fit for me because I am aggressive, really good in coverage, and versatile with being able to play on and off the ball.”

Schell has collected 45 offers from all over the country, including USC, Auburn, Baylor, Colorado, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Indiana, LSU, Miami, Texas A&M, and others. So, what will it take to earn a pledge from the highly coveted 2028 prospect?

“The major factors I am considering are development both on and off the field, relationships with my position coach and defensive coordinator, defensive scheme, and winning championships,” Schell revealed. “I’m not ready to name any leaders in my recruitment at this point, but I am blessed to have a lot of great schools recruiting me. There has not been one place that I have visited that I have not seriously considered as being a place to spend the next 3-4 years of college. There are still a few places that I hope to visit as I begin to narrow things down in the fall.”

Schell, the son of former Tiger QB Matt Schell, completed his sophomore season with 77 total tackles, 61 solo tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks.