Texas QB drives 15 hours to check out Clemson

Virgil’s main goal for the visit was to get to know Chad Morris a little better.

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Sun Aug 04 17:07:35 GMT-04:00 2013

There were more than a few interested visitors when the Tigers opened fall camp Friday evening in the indoor practice facility, and 2015 quarterback Chason Virgil Chason Virgil
Quarterback
6-1, 170
Mesquite, TX
View Full Profile was among the crowd.

The dual-threat quarterback out of West Mesquite (TX) Mesquite made the 15-hour drive with his older brother Chazz, a Mesquite assistant coach, his sister and brother in law.

Virgil told TigerNet Sunday afternoon that since he couldn’t make the trip for head coach Dabo SwinneyDabo Swinney
Head Coach
View Full Profile ’s high school camps, he wanted to see Clemson for himself before school started back.

“I was going to come to camp down at Clemson, but I didn’t get the chance so we decided that we drive this we would drive to Clemson this weekend and see the campus and talk to Coach [Chad] Morris,” Virgil told TigerNet.

While on campus, Virgil was able to take in two days of Clemson’s practice as well as tour the campus.

“I spent two days. Friday, we came to Clemson and looked at the school,” Virgil said. “We took a tour of the campus. We met with Coach Morris and got to talk to him a little bit. Next, we met some of the players and got to watch them practice. Saturday, we went up there and talked to Coach [Dabo] Swinney and chatted with Tajh Boyd about some things and watched them practice again.”

Virgil’s main goal for the visit was to get to know Morris a little better.

“His message to me was to just keep Clemson in mind, take my time with my decision and pick the school that best fits me,” Virgil said. “At the end of the day, he’s going to always support me whether I go to Clemson or not.”

Virgil also spent time with Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd, and Virgil said that he hopes he can take what he learned from Boyd and incorporate it into his game.

“Me and Tajh just talked about football. We talked a little bit about me and he told me about himself,” Virgil said. “He told me how good Clemson is and why he chose Clemson. I really like Tajh Boyd and the way he plays. I will take some things that Tajh does and put it in my game.”

The indoor practice facility continues to pay dividends for Swinney - Virgil said it’s the best he’s ever seen.

“I think the indoor practice facility is probably the best one I’ve seen, especially with the big jumbotron inside,” Virgil said. “The campus is really nice. Everything is within walking distance and isn’t far. The football field and the weight room- it’s really nice and I loved it.”

In addition to Clemson, Virgil has offers from Arizona State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas and Toledo.

Clemson is the furthest away from Virgil’s hometown, but he said that distance won’t be a factor when it comes time to make a decision.

“Going out of the state doesn’t matter to me,” Virgil said. “Leaving Texas and going 15 hours to South Carolina doesn’t matter as long as the school fits me. If that school is good for me when the time comes, then that’s where I’m going to go. Texas and all of those schools are great programs, but if Clemson is where I want to go then that’s where I’m going to go. Distance doesn’t matter.”

With the 2015 National Signing Day over 18 months away, Virgil doesn’t plan to make any official announcements in the near future.

“Clemson is like every other school that I’m considering,” Virgil said. “I’m considering all of the schools that are interested in me. I probably won’t make a decision any time soon- at least until the beginning of next year.”

As a freshman, Virgil threw for 758 yards and eight touchdowns.

As a sophomore, Virgil threw for 2,289 yards and 21 touchdowns, while completing 164-of-266 passes- a 61.7 completion percentage. He also accounted for 400 yards and three scores on the ground.