STRecruiting: As decision time approaches, OT Leo Delaney has Clemson in his sights

Official visits are rapidly approaching, and for OT Leo Delaney (6-6 280) of Charlotte, that means a decision is coming soon. On July 11th, Delaney is expected to decide between Clemson, Michigan, Penn State, and Tennessee.

Each has an official visit scheduled with him, but Clemson gets the first chance to impress on May 30th. And in Delaney’s eyes, the foundation of each program can lead to success on the field.

“What stands out for me most about all of those schools is the culture of the programs,” he said. “I feel like every school has a culture that’s consistent with just a really gritty work ethic, like a blue-collar kind of thing. Just put your head down, get after it, and grind. Don’t lift your head until you’re on top of the mountain; even then, keep going. Be the best person yourself. And on top of that, the relationships that I get to build with these coaches, I get to see what kind of coach I want coaching me for three years, hopefully, as long as they don’t go elsewhere. And yeah, I mean, I want to win too. That’s a big thing. And all four of the schools that I’m really looking to win big.”

An added advantage the Tigers may have in the recruitment of Delaney is the addition of one of his teammates within the class.

Wide receiver Gordon Sellars recently pledged to Clemson, giving Tyler Grisham another high-caliber weapon to work with down the road. It hasn’t taken long for the Providence Day wide out to put on his own recruiting hat to get his teammate to join him.

“He’s been peer recruiting me since the day he knew he was going to Clemson,” Delaney explained. “And we talk about it. We talk about what he loves about the place, which is kind of similar to the things I love about the place: their development, their culture, how they put time into having the guys that they bring in from high school, turning them into great football players and great people, not just bringing a portal and already great football player in and calling it development. So I mean, yeah, I think we consistently talk about stuff like that.”

It also doesn’t hurt that Matt Luke has continued to build a strong rapport with the young lineman. Pairing that with Sellars’ recent commitment, the Tigers certainly feel good about where they stand.

“The relationship just continues to get stronger with Coach Luke,” Delaney revealed. “It continues to get stronger with just, I feel like, the family there, especially with my teammate Gordon Sellars being committed there now; it just feels like a great place to be.”