Tight end reveals commitment secret during weekend visit

Lay poses during a photo shoot Saturday in Clemson

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Sun Mar 04 08:01:02 GMT-04:00 2018

It’s been 126 days since Clemson’s last commitment for the 2019 recruiting class, but the drought is over.

Three-star Riverdale (GA) tight end Jaelyn Lay became Clemson’s third commit for the recruiting cycle – joining defensive back Joseph Charleston and athlete Brannon Spector – when we committed to the Tigers while on a junior day visit Saturday.

Lay chose Clemson over offers from Cincinnati, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa State, Maryland, Ole Miss and Oregon State among others.

Clemson offered Lay in January at its elite junior day and it took just a couple of weeks for the 6-5, 220-pounder to decide where he wanted to play college football.

“My birthday was February 21st and I wasn't really able to celebrate it,” Lay told TigerNet Saturday evening. “So, I just sat and thought and prayed about my future career and football career.”

However, he didn’t give away his secret until Saturday’s visit.

“I gave a hint to Coach (Danny) Pearman and he caught on to what I was saying,” Lay said. “Then I tried to do the same with Coach (Tyler) Grisham but he caught on as well. They both were super shocked and wanted to keep it a secret during practice from Coach Swinney, so I could tell him at the end, but Coach Swinney was very surprised.”

The Clemson offense likes to use big, physical tight ends in the passing game, and Lay said he feels like he will right in.

"Clemson is a special place and I believe I can contribute to their offense in many ways,” Lay said. “They like my size and that I can run routes because I primarily play receiver at my school. I have the size of a tight end but move like a receiver. They said I can do multiple things in their offense."

The attraction to Clemson isn’t just about football though.

"I like that Clemson is not all about football but about how we can contribute in life after football," Lay said. “What stands out about Clemson is just the consistency of how they are as people. It wasn't just for show.”