Top linebacker prospect in the country taking a real close look at Clemson
Clemson’s game with Louisville Saturday attracted another large number of recruits including 2020 linebacker Antoine Sampah of Woodbridge, Va. Rivals ranks Sampah the No. 1 inside linebacker prospect in the country for his class so he’s weeding through offers from coast-to-coast. Clemson, at this point, is one that stands out to him.
“(Saturday) was great. I enjoyed my time around campus and at the game. It was a awesome first experience for me,” Sampah said. “The family atmosphere truly stood out for me and was impressive. Clemson is a great team, they compete at a high level and they showed that yesterday.”
Sampah is being recruited by Clemson defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Brent Venables. The two got the chance to talk Saturday and Sampah took a lot away from that chat.
“Coach V showed me a lot of love and we was able to talk about the game, what I saw in the defense and special teams, then the conversation transitioned to just life overall, family, football, academics and my future,” he said. “I also was able to see Coach Swinney for a moment and he was excited that I made it down for the first time. My focus now is to come back down again soon and continue to make this relationship strong.”
The recruiting process is still unfolding for Sampah but he feels after this first visit to Clemson the Tigers have carved out a spot on his short list when he announces one.
“Clemson is a special place and it feels good to be needed and wanted by the staff and fans,” Sampah said. “The facilities are incredible. The people are genuine. It feels like family. Clemson is competing at the top of my list.”
Sampah plans to release a top eight going into 2019. Some of his other offers include Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Penn State, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Tennessee, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Notes:
▪ 2020 A.C. Flora safety Donqua Wilson (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) visited Clemson on Saturday. The Tigers are the first to show interest in him and he’s hoping for more from them down the road.
“It was awesome from a recruit standpoint,” Wilson said. “The fact that you get to tour the facilities is amazing and the fact that they just don’t focus on football, they prepare you for life after football which I think is very important. And they take care of you after football, that’s why you always see so many of the former players at the games. They like me and they plan on recruiting me.”
▪ Hanahan two-way lineman Cooper Dawson took an official visit to Army over the weekend, his first official visit.
“The Army visit was awesome,” Dawson said. “You sacrifice a lot but also gain just as much.”
Dawson will take an official visit to UCF this coming weekend and he is scheduled for Vanderbilt on Dec. 7. Clemson also has been involved with a grayshirt offer but he’s not heard anything from the Tigers recently. Dawson has not played this season due to a torn ACL suffered in the summer. His doctors did not clear him to play after a checkup last week.
“They said the strength isn’t there yet so they wanted to give me another three weeks.” Dawson said his Shrine Bowl participation also remains up in the air.
▪ Dutch Fork 2020 wide receiver Jalin Hyatt did not make it to Virginia Tech Saturday. He said he will return to Clemson for the USC game.
▪ Aynor 2020 offensive lineman Colby Todd visited Clemson on Saturday.
▪ Quinton Bradford offensive lineman 2021 of Norcross, Ga., visited Clemson on Saturday.