CLEMSON RECRUITING

Darnell Jefferies details why Clemson made his top ten
Jefferies poses in a Clemson uniform

Darnell Jefferies details why Clemson made his top ten


by - Senior Writer -

Darnell Jefferies is paying close attention to Clemson’s 2018 recruiting class, and that’s one of the reasons Clemson made the top ten list of schools Jefferies released Friday.

Jefferies, a 4-star out of Covington (GA) Newton County, released a top ten that includes Clemson, Alabama, Ohio St., Georgia, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Oregon, and LSU.

Next up for Jefferies? He will make a verbal commitment in about a month?

“Sometime in mid-June I will commit,” Jefferies told TigerNet. “I just want to get in a commitment before my senior season starts. I want to concentrate on my senior season of high school.”

The 6-4, 275-pounder has 28 offers, including Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, UNC, Louisville, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. However, Clemson has stayed at or near the top of the list for a variety of reasons, including the fact that he once played on an all-star team with current Clemson commits Xavier Thomas, Justin Mascoll and Trevor Lawrence. He also played with Mascoll early on in the Gwinnett Football League.

“Clemson is definitely in my group of favorites. I have great relationships with the coaches and the players on that team,” Jefferies said. “And the 2018 recruiting class is keeping in touch with me on a day in and day out basis. Clemson has a very good class, recruiting-wise, and I've pretty much played with all of them. I played with Xavier, Justin, and Trevor on a freshman All-American team. I know all of them.”

Jefferies said Clemson’s current list of commits stays in his ear about making the right choice.

“They are just telling me to do what is right for me,” he said. “But they are also telling me why Clemson is great, and they tell me the things that they love about Clemson. They let me see the love they have for Clemson through their eyes.”

He has also developed a strong relationship with Clemson’s coaching staff, and in particular, new defensive line coach Todd Bates.

“I feel like I have a great relationship with Coach Bates, (defensive coordinator Brent) Coach Venables and head coach Dabo Swinney,” he said. “But I have a great relationship with Coach Bates. We text almost every day. He talks about life, and sends me poems and writes me motivational stories telling me to keep my head in the books. He writes things and tells me to stay hungry and stay grinding in the game of football.”

Jefferies said he doesn’t think he will make it back to campus before making a decision.

“I’ve been to Clemson several times,” he said. “I’ve seen all I need to see, and I don’t know when I will make it back.”

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