California 5-star says it would be hard to say no to Clemson

Jackson has taken a virtual tour of Clemson (Photo courtesy of Mater Dei)

by Jake Pierce - Recruiting Reporter - Tue Jun 02 13:06:10 GMT-04:00 2020

Clemson is officially sending out offers to the 2022 class, with many elite prospects reporting Clemson offers on June 1st. One of the nation’s top players received one of those offers, and Clemson looks to be in a good position moving forward in his recruitment.

Domani Jackson is regarded as one of the best players in the 2022 class, currently being listed by 247Sports as the No. 12 overall prospect and the No. 2 player in the talent-rich state of California. Listed at 6-1, 185-pounds, Jackson is also rated as the No. 2 cornerback in the country, and Clemson loves what Jackson brings to the cornerback position.

TigerNet spoke with Jackson about the Clemson offer and where Clemson stands with the dynamic corner from Cali.

Jackson has been recruited by every major program in the country, and Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed has handled Jackson’s Clemson recruitment. Jackson has built a strong relationship with Reed to this point, staying in contact with each other on a regular basis.

“I’ve been calling Coach Reed like every week for about a month or two,” Jackson told TigerNet. “He’s a really cool guy, I love checking up on him. We just really talk about life, what we did on that day and he always asks how my family is. He’s a real cool coach that I can see myself playing for.”

Reed loves Jackson’s game at corner, and he’s not the only one. Jackson has received 39 offers so far, and the Clemson offer was a little different than all the others.

“Earlier this week, Coach Reed told me to call him at 9 PM California time, so it was 12 AM their time,” Jackson said. “So it’s official because they offer on June 1st. I like what they do. It’s different from other schools. I think that’s the reason why their program is how it is. I just know Clemson is going to be either one or two.”

With the COVID-19 changing the way teams are recruiting, schools are currently utilizing virtual visits. Jackson had the chance to do a virtual tour of Clemson’s facilities with Coach Reed, and Clemson is in a good position to be a contender for Jackson.

“After the virtual tour, like Coach Reed said, it’s going to be hard for me to say no,” he said. “The virtual tour was crazy and I haven’t even stepped foot on campus! I saw the facilities and it blew my mind. I didn’t know it looked like that, it’s the BEST I’ve ever seen. And I like how Clemson is all about business, you are there for one reason and you stay focused with no distractions.”

There are many schools that are recruiting Jackson hard besides Clemson, including Texas, USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Michigan, and LSU. What are the coaches he’s hearing from telling him that they like about his game?

“Coaches like how physical I am at the line and how fast I am,” he said. “My strength I feel like is my physicality at the line of scrimmage. I like pressing a lot.”

Jackson has taken visits to LSU, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Florida, USC, and Oregon up to this point in his recruitment. Jackson is hoping to see Clemson over the summer, and there’s a few things he’s going to be looking for in every school he considers in his recruitment.

“I’m going to try everything I can to get up there,” Jackson said of a Clemson visit. “I just got to have a nice relationship with all the coaches and see how they can develop me on and off the field as a man.”

Clemson looks to be in a very good position with Jackson moving forward. Three schools that look to be serious contenders moving forward for Jackson are Clemson, USC, and Texas. Jackson showcased elite 4.4-4.5 speed as a sophomore, with his quickness and explosion adding even more of a speed element to his game. As Jackson mentioned, he loves being physical on the line and has the athleticism to get in a receiver’s face and also play off the ball in coverage.

Jackson has many tools to be a dominant cornerback, showing great ball skills, physicality in the pass and run, and the ability to read plays quick once the ball is snapped.