Tigers in good shape as priority defender Vic Burley makes his decision

Vic Burley rides with Nick Eason last weekend.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Tue Jun 14 08:00:05 GMT-04:00 2022

One of the top recruits in the 2023 class will make his college decision this week, and following another trip to Clemson, he has the Tigers firmly in the mix.

Four-star defensive lineman Vic Burley of Warner Robins (GA) announces his commitment live on CBS Sports HQ on Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET. Burley is deciding between four schools — Michigan State, Clemson, Georgia and Tennessee.

Burley is listed as the No. 22 overall player and No. 4 defensive lineman in 247Sports’ rankings for the 2023 class. He holds offers from nearly 20 programs, including some of the biggest schools in the game.

Burley was on Clemson’s campus last weekend – he canceled a scheduled visit to Georgia and came back to see defensive line coach Nick Eason and the Tigers.

Burley took official visits to Tennessee and Michigan State and was scheduled for Ohio State this weekend, but he won't make that trip. He had originally planned to visit Georgia this past weekend, but he nixed that visit. Burley said Sunday night he had made his decision.

About his most recent conversations with Clemson, Burley said, "I've been hearing everything good from them. We just really have great conversations, and not just about football. Clemson can develop me as a person with the Paw Journey and the internships. Coach (Nikc) Eason said I'd just be playing D-line. They don't really have positions there because all the D-linemen can play across the front."

Burley said his conversations with Clemson – and Eason – are necessarily centered on football.

“My conversations with Clemson really haven’t been about recruiting. They just check in on me and make sure everything is OK,” Burley said. “They will come see me at school. They show consistency. They occasionally talk about football, but they are just there and talk about life.

“Clemson introduced me into the internships and the different programs they offer. That really opened my eyes with the 100-percent job placement and the PAW Journey. That was a great addition to all of the other things I saw. They kind of set that standard for all of the other colleges for me.”

What makes Burley special?

“On the field, I feel like I’m more of a team leader,” Burley said. “I try to motivate my teammates to do their best on and off the field. As a player, I think I have good footwork, but I know it needs to get better. I have great hand placement, great speed, and great power, but there’s always room to improve for me. It feels good to be one of the top guys on the team’s board, but I don’t feel like I’ve made it yet. I feel like I have a bigger potential that I haven’t reached yet.”

Burley made 54 tackles with 14 tackles for loss and five sacks last season.