Nation's No. 1 recruit says Clemson definitely "made an impression on me."

Bresee is shown here on the sidelines before Clemson's blowout win over South Carolina

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Feb 2, 2019, 8:01 AM

The nation’s No. 1 recruit came away from last weekend’s visit impressed.

Five-star 2020 defensive end Bryan Bresee of Damascus (MD) is ranked as the number one player overall by 247 and as the nation’s number one defensive end (and fifth overall) by Rivals, and he has an impressive list. He recently trimmed his list of favorites to six, and Clemson is battling the likes of Georgia, Penn State, Ohio State, Alabama and Michigan for Bresee’s services.

He was on hand for last weekend’s elite junior day.

“It was awesome. It was a really good experience,” Bresee told TigerNet. “It was much more exclusive because there were only 25 or 30 recruits and maybe just 10-15 defensive recruits. I got to spend a lot of time with Coach (Todd) Bates and Coach (Brent) Venables, and I got to spend some time with Coach (Dabo) Swinney. It was really just a good experience.”

The coaching staff brought out the National Championship trophy – Clemson’s second in three years – but Bresee said his excitement level centers on the caliber of recruits the Tigers are landing.

“There is a lot of excitement around there. They are also getting a bunch of recruits that I am becoming pretty close with,” he said. “That is another thing that is pretty exciting about it. I've known Tre Williams for a while. He committed while I was down there. I met him a couple of years ago at The Opening and some regional things, so we've become pretty close. He goes to St. John's in DC, which is 45 minutes from me. That is one. And I am in a little group with all of the other commits now, like Sergio (Allen), and Walker (Parks) and Kevin Swint and all those guys.”

Bresee also understands Clemson’s reputation for producing outstanding defensive linemen.

“That definitely helps. They have had some really great players and they have three that might go in the first round this year,” Bresee said. “That is big. Coach Bates and Coach Venables are doing a really good job.”

He was also impressed with Swinney’s speech that ended the day.

“It was awesome,” he said. “There haven't been many places I've been where the head coach stands up and talks to you for almost an hour. That was pretty cool.”

He will make a trip to Georgia on the 16th and hopes to make it back to Clemson for the spring game. Where do the Tigers stand heading into the spring?

“I have my top six, but Clemson has definitely made an impression on me, especially after that last visit,” he said.