Clemson is first to offer NC lineman

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Mon Apr 29 08:39:25 GMT-04:00 2013

One of the top prospects out of the state of North Carolina for the 2015 recruiting cycle is starting to garner a lot of attention, and earned his first offer this past Saturday when Clemson recruiter Danny Pearman Danny Pearman
Assistant Head Coach / Tight Ends
View Full Profile made the verbal.

Mason Veal Mason Veal
Offensive Tackle
6-6, 290
Charlotte, NC
View Full Profile out of Charlotte (NC) Arbrey Kell saw Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Duke, Virginia and North Carolina all stop by his school last week, and he heard the good news from Clemson on Saturday.

“I was sitting at home Saturday and my coach [Adam Hastings] called me and told me that Clemson wanted to offer me,” Veal told TigerNet on Sunday. “So I called Coach Pearman and he said that he and the rest of the coaches looked at my film and decided I was the kind of player that they wanted to be a part of Clemson football.”

Pearman also talked to Veal’s teachers and coaches during the visit to the school.

“He said they really liked my film,” Veal said. “But he said he also talked to a few of my teachers and looked at my transcripts and decided I was a perfect fit for their program and they wanted me to be a Clemson Tiger.

Veal already has connections to Clemson – his uncle is Michael Watson, who played tennis at Clemson in the late 1980’s and still has ties to the school. He also has ties to South Carolina – his parents attended South Carolina and his dad, Dylan Veal, played left guard at South Carolina from 1987-90.

“My dad initially wanted me to go to South Carolina,” he said. “I grew up loving South Carolina, and I would hear how my dad and my uncle would talk trash to each other whenever Clemson played South Carolina. But since the whole recruiting process started for me, I realized this is not about where they want me to go but where I fit in the best and where I have the best opportunity.”

He said he has been watching Clemson improve under head coach Dabo SwinneyDabo Swinney
Head Coach
View Full Profile , and he likes what he sees.

“I’ve watched Clemson football for a long time, and I’ve seen how they’ve improved under Coach Swinney,” he said. “Now they are recruiting and playing at a national level, and every year they just get more and more talent. Every single year, they just get better. This year, they have Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins returning, and I know there are a lot of expectations.”

Veal visited Clemson for the spring game back on April 13th.

"I love the facilities they have there,” he said. “I got to see the new practice facility and that was amazing. I also got to see the offense they have there, and I wouldn’t have a problem with that. It’s all about your mindset and your conditioning and about what you want to do. I don’t care how fast or slow they play – I just want to play winning football.”

Veal plans to return to Clemson for Swinney’s camp in early June, and will also take camp visits to North Carolina, Alabama, Miami, Georgia and South Carolina.