Swinney says Urban Meyer comments "might have come up" during talks with recruit

Swinney hugs Meyer after the Tigers defeated Ohio St. 31-0 last season (Photo by Matthew Emmons (USA Today)

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wednesday, December 20, 2017, 12:32 PM

Jackson Carman - Offensive Line
TigerNet: (4.82)

Height: 6-6 Weight: 330 Hometown: Fairfield, OH (Fairfield HS) Class: 2018

ESPN:

#21 Overall, #2 OL, #1 OH

Rivals:

#16 Overall, #2 OL, #1 OH

24/7:

#49 Overall, #4 OT, #1 OH

CLEMSON - Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney landed one of the prize prospects of the 2018 recruiting class Wednesday morning when 5-star OL Jackson Carman committed to the Tigers during a ceremony at his school.

Carman, out of Fairfield, Ohio, was long considered a lock to nearby Ohio St. and head coach Urban Meyer. Carman, rated the nation’s No. 9 player overall in the 2018 class by the 247Sports Composite, is also ranked the nation’s No. 1 offensive lineman by the rankings and the No. 1-ranked player in Ohio regardless of position. He also ranked the nation’s No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2018 class by ESPN.com and had well over 40 scholarship offers during the recruiting process.

Carman told a media member Wednesday that Swinney weighed in on Meyer's tenure at Ohio St. Swinney told Carman during his recruitment that Urban Meyer is on the back end of his career in terms of years left. “It wasn’t a major factor, but it was an underlying one,” Carman said.

Swinney was asked about those comments during his Wednesday press conference.

"I cannot recall specifically, but it sounds like it was something that might’ve come up when we talked about coaches," Swinney said. "I’ve been a guy that’s been here for 15 years and there’s a difference when you compare coaches – different stages in life and things like that – and in recruiting you talk about anything and everything that a recruit wants to talk about that seems relevant."

Swinney's Tigers defeated Meyer and the Buckeyes in the 2013 Orange Bowl and then soundly defeated the Buckeyes 31-0 last season in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

I’m sure nobody who’s recruited against Clemson has told a kid Dabo is going to Alabama as soon as Saban retires ??
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) December 20, 2017

Right. And let’s be honest, if Clemson wants to negatively recruit against Ohio State, handing a recruit a copy of last year’s Fiesta Bowl is pretty much the most vicious thing they can do. https://t.co/oUjsbAyUTc
— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) December 20, 2017