Five-star RB Shipley can see himself playing at Clemson

Shipley visited Clemson for head coach Dabo Swinney's camp last June.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Feb 1, 2020, 7:20 AM

Five-star running back Will Shipley is popular with the best coaches in the nation, drawing visits from the likes of Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly, Alabama’s Nick Saban, and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney over the last week.

The attention will only ramp up from here.

The Matthews (N.C.) Weddington 2021 star visited Clemson last weekend for the Tigers’ elite junior day, making the trip down with his parents.

“It was a great visit. I got the chance to see more of the campus than I have in the past,” Shipley said. “We were able to take a tour and see what Clemson is like when it isn’t a game or camp. I also got to talk to the coaches and just see what they are like. We saw more of the facilities and spent a couple of hours out on campus.”

Shipley also spent time with Swinney.

“He was telling me that I was a great fit for the program,” Shipley said. “He was saying that I was fit for the family atmosphere that they have. He didn’t put any pressure on me to commit but he said he knew I would make the right decision. If I wind up at Clemson that would be great, but he knows I will be great wherever I go.”

Swinney also let Shipley know that a certain number would be available by the time he gets on campus.

“Coach Swinney was telling me that Travis Etienne will be a senior next season,” he said. “So that means when I am a freshman that No. would be available. That was pretty funny.”

Shipley visited Clemson twice for games last season and hopes to make it back at some point during the spring. He also plans on using his spring visits to check out Ohio St., Notre Dame, Georgia, and Stanford. Notre Dame figures to be Clemson’s main competition and the Irish are hoping to get him on campus on March 22.

“There is a group of schools I am looking at,” Shipley said. “I want to take visits and see what it’s like spending time with players and the coaches I would be with. I want to see what the player's atmosphere is like because if you’re going to spend part of your life somewhere you need to know what it’s like.”

As for Clemson, the Tigers family atmosphere speaks for itself.

“That is somewhere I can see myself playing,” Shipley said. “There is a great family atmosphere there. I can see myself playing there for sure.”

As a junior, Shipley carried the ball 188 times for 2,066 yards (an average of 11 yards per carry) with 30 touchdowns and 10 100-yard games. He also caught 34 passes for 582 yards and eight more scores. As a sophomore, Shipley carried the ball 206 times for 1,417 yards and 19 touchdowns, while adding 28 receptions for 393 yards and six scores. He had 2,658 all-purpose yards as a junior and 1,816 as a sophomore.