Elite corner says Clemson "caught his eye" during visit

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sat Feb 02 22:29:04 GMT-04:00 2013

D.J. Smith D.J. Smith
Cornerback
6-0, 180
Marietta, GA
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Smith is a 4-star corner out of Marietta (GA) Walton – the same school that produced former Clemson great Aaron Kelly – and is considered one of the top corners in the 2014 recruiting cycle.

Saturday, he made the trip up to Clemson with his father, and came impressed.

“It was a great visit. I loved everything about it,” Smith told TigerNet Saturday evening. “They definitely caught my eye. I am going to be watching Clemson a lot closer now, and paying a lot more attention.”

Smith says he got a chance to tour the facilities, and then got to spend time with new secondary coach Mike ReedMike Reed
Defensive Backs Coach
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“We got up there, and they put us in a group and we toured all of the facilities,” he said. “We saw everything. And then I got to spend some time Coach Reed. He was telling me about himself, and how he coaches and what all is going on at Clemson. I like him a lot.”

Smith’s father spend time talking to defensive coordinator Brent VenablesBrent Venables
Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers
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“I talked to Coach Venables a little bit,” he said. “But my dad spent a lot of time with Coach Venables. I know they talked a lot, and my dad really likes him.”

Smith said there was one thing that really stood out to him on the visit.

“I love how it is like a family there,” he said. “You can tell that. Everybody says that once you come to Clemson, you are part of a big family. I liked that. You could really tell that, too.”

Smith said Clemson could be added to a list of favorites that includes Georgia, Florida and Alabama.

“Yeah, I like Clemson a lot,” he said. “They are definitely up there.”

As a junior, he had 50 tackles and intercepted three passes. On offense, he rushed for over 400 yards and caught 300 yards worth of passes.

Photo by smitty2320