Top lineman Darius Gray slots Clemson into his top schools

Gray hopes to attend Clemson’s junior day on January 25th, hoping he can continue to learn more about the schools remaining to compete for his services.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Friday, December 27 2024

Another top lineman has the Tigers on his trimmed list.

Darius Gray of Saint Christophers (VA) Richmond has Clemson now competing with Oregon, Ohio State, Tennessee, and other major programs nationwide in his top group.

Top players like Bear McWhorter, Grant Wise, and Desmond Green have all slotted Clemson into the next phase of their recruitment. Gray joined that list of linemen.

He received an offer from Clemson in June, following a spring visit with two critical factors that made the program stand out: P.A.W. Journey and academics.

Gray believes the pitch for life after football was something that caught his attention, and made Clemson’s culture stand out to land in his top schools list.

“I think the biggest thing they talked about was school academics and how Clemson would set you up outside of football,” Gray said. “And so those two things, I think those were the biggest standouts because kind of all they talked about all day. And so they have a P.A.W. Journey, and they do a great job of making sure players are okay and know how the world works outside of football. So that's a huge reason why they stood out.”

Academics aren’t the only item of importance catching Gray’s eye, as Matt Luke’s development of the Clemson offensive line has been a significant standout.

Luke’s impact continues to be a trend among the top prospects within the trenches, and his work positively impacts recruitment.

Gray watched Luke turn the Tiger offensive line into a true strength in 2024, helping lead Clemson back into the College Football Playoff. That development, without the use of the transfer portal, impressed the Virginia prospect.

“Oh yeah, definitely,” Gray said. “That plays into a lot of player development. So, especially without taking many portal guys, like other schools, it is really big to build somebody from 17 to a young adult. And the fact that they can do that without getting any help or getting something else out of what other people built is huge. So that just shows how good of a coach he is.”

Gray hopes to attend Clemson’s junior day on January 25th, hoping he can continue to learn more about the schools remaining to compete for his services.

He wants to see how the Tigers view him as a person, and how he fits in the grand picture of the program.

"Definitely just keep growing," Gray said. "Like I said, seeing if I can fit there without anybody that's currently on the staff and honestly just having a better understanding of how they see me and where they see me fitting into the program."