Clemson is the new leader for elite Florida corner

Henry was pleased with his Clemson visit

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Jan 30 09:07:34 GMT-04:00 2019

Four-star defensive back Henry Gray out of Miami (FL) Central wanted to make sure he saw everything he wanted to see on his recent Clemson visit, and he made it back home with a new leader.

Gray and his mother drove up from Miami on Thursday in advance of Clemson’s elite junior day on Saturday, and he spent time with former 7-on-7 teammate Frank Ladson, corners coach Mike Reed, graduate assistant DeAndre McDaniel and current Clemson corner AJ Terrell.

The visit went the way he wanted it to go.

“The visit was really good,” Gray told TigerNet. “Coach (Dabo) Swinney and all the coaches showed me a lot of love and they showed me that even though it's a small town, there is really a family atmosphere, and everybody connects in some way. You can't get that a lot of places. It was the best visit I’ve had.”

Gray was a big fan of Swinney’s speech about what it takes to be a Tiger.

“One of the biggest things was about commitment,” Gray said. “He said that when he committed to something, it's a two-way street. So when we commit to him then he is going to be committed to us. I feel like he is very genuine about that. Clemson had two players commit earlier in the day, and Coach Swinney said he tried to talk them out of it, because he wants to make sure guys are ready. He is very authentic about that.”

He also got to see what life would be like if he committed to Clemson.

“I talked with Coach Reed and spoke with DeAndre McDaniel,” he said. “The player I spent time with was AJ Terrell, and they told me about what the school is all about and what life is like there and what it's like to be a Tiger. Frank was telling he was telling Coach Swinney he couldn’t wait to get me up there.”

The coaches unveiled the National Championship trophy, and Gray took notice.

“There is a lot of excitement around Clemson,” he said. “Coach Swinney is doing really good in recruiting. He recruits the right players. Clemson doesn't have a lot of transfers, and it seems like they always get the right players. They always get the guys that seem to fit.”

Clemson offered last May and is joined on the offer sheet by Ohio State, Georgia, Florida State, Florida, Penn State and Auburn among others.

Gray said if he doesn’t make a decision in the spring, he will wait until the end of the season.

Where does Clemson stand right now?

“Clemson is my top school right now. They are the leaders,” Gray said. “I feel like the coaches there can turn me into the best player I can be.”