Guillermo gets offer from Canes, still "world's biggest Clemson fan"

Maryville was the Class 6A State Champions in Tennessee last season.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Thu May 12 22:46:56 GMT-04:00 2011

The Miami Hurricanes are going after one of the early commitments in Clemson’s 2012 recruiting class, offering offensive lineman Jay Guillermo Jay Guillermo
Offensive Line
6-3, 285
Maryville, TN
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Guillermo said the Hurricanes haven’t been in touch with him until this past Tuesday.

“One of their graduate assistants, Benny Fernandez, found me on Facebook a couple of days ago and he said they saw my film and were in awe,” Guillermo told TigerNet Thursday evening. “He said they saw my film and loved me, and I was now their top guy.

“Today, he hit me up on Facebook again and asked if I could call them, and he gave me a number. I told them I was solid to Clemson, but I figured it couldn’t hurt. So I called them.”

Turns out, it wasn’t Fernandez on the phone, but long-time Hurricane line coach Art Kehoe, who coached the likes of Eric Winston, Brett Romberg and Bryant McKinnie.

“He [Kehoe] was the one who ended up offering me,” Guillermo said. “He apologized that he was just now contacting me, in May of my junior year. He said he couldn’t believe they were just now finding out about me. He said he and [head coach Al] coach Golden were watching my film, and said they loved me.”

Kehoe even added a little incentive.

“He told me that their guy was graduating, and that he thought I was the type of lineman that could come in and not only play, but start my freshman year,” he said. “That was humbling. Miami is a great program.”

However, Guillermo’s ring tone on his cell phone [it says “You have called the world’s greatest Clemson fan! And he will be with you in a moment. And go Tigers!] leaves no doubt as to where Guillermo’s heart lies.

“I am a solid commitment to Clemson,” he said. “That is where I have always wanted to go. That is what I told them, and they said they would stay in contact with me.”

Guillermo even plans on graduating in December, and enrolling in Clemson in January so he can get a jump on spring practice.

“I actually just got all of the paperwork signed yesterday,” he said. “I should get everything finalized next week, and I have just four more classes next year and then I can get to Clemson.”