Rising lineman prospect says Clemson experience "unlike anything I've seen before"

Jones (r) said his Clemson experience is "unlike anything I've seen before."

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Wednesday, September 11 2024

Plenty got to take in Clemson’s electric home opener on Saturday.

One of those in attendance was Carter Jones.

Jones of Poquoson (VA) Poquoson High is a sophomore tackle who can play both ways within the trenches.

According to writers in Virginia, Jones is a rising star within the state. His formidable stature at 6-foot-6, with a frame of 280 pounds, complements him well on the gridiron.

For Jones, his recruitment journey is in its infancy. He holds four Division I offers, from Delaware, William & Mary, Liberty, and Old Dominion.

The young tackle got his chance to break into another level with a visit to Clemson on Saturday, making it his second trip to campus.

Jones was a standout over the summer in Dabo Swinney’s high school camp and left an impression on Matt Luke and the staff.

From there, a gameday visit was put into place.

Jones entered Saturday’s opener trying to keep an open mind, knowing this was his first official gameday visit.

“Honestly, I went into this visit not really having much expectations at all because it was my first real game day visit,” Jones said. “So. I didn't have any expectations. I just kind of wanted to go with the flow and just take it all in all the atmosphere.”

When it comes to taking in that atmosphere, Jones told TigerNet Clemson’s night opener was unlike anything he’s ever seen.

“For me, the game day experience, it was something I've never seen before,” Jones said. “I've been to some games, I've been to a lot of different atmospheres, and Clemson was different. They treated the recruits differently. I've been to Clemson twice now, and each time, I've loved it, and I want to come back more. So the atmosphere is really electric in Death Valley.”

Jones noticed plenty on his visit to Clemson, and the treatment of the recruits especially stood out. As he continues to discover more about his process, the relationship with players will become more crucial down the road.

“For recruiting purposes, I'm kind of looking to see what I like, see what I don't like in schools, and see who shows interest and how they treat their athletes and how they're going to develop me over the years when I eventually commit somewhere.”

Jones hasn’t received an offer from Clemson yet (offers for the 2027 class would typically start going out next year), but he got a taste of what being a Tiger would be like over the weekend.

For the young lineman, an offer from Dabo Swinney would be significant.

“It would mean a lot to me. I really enjoy Clemson and the coaches. I enjoy being around the coaches, even the players. We went into the locker room after the game and to hear Dabo talk; it was amazing. I really enjoyed everything about Clemson. All their offers are committable too. They talked about that a lot. So just getting an offer would be amazing.”

I had an INCREDIBLE home opener game day visit experience at @ClemsonFB! Thank you to all of the coaches for the hospitality! I can’t wait to be back soon!#allin🐅🐅@CoachMattLuke @SorrellsJordan @Clements_TJC @carson_cramer @joshjwall16 @TyroneC55 @CoachEason1 pic.twitter.com/k7FHV0ZbyK
— Carter Jones (@carterjonesfb) September 8, 2024

My work from last year is showing in my upcoming sophomore season! I finished my 2nd scrimmage tonight. I played both OT/DL! I am number 70 in these clips!
C/o 27’
6’6’’ OL/DL
280lbs
4 D1 Offers
⭐️⭐️⭐️ pic.twitter.com/3PXriHTCHn
— Carter Jones (@carterjonesfb) August 23, 2024