It’s a football fit: Why Clemson and top recruit Bryan Bresee were meant to be

Bryan Bresee’s hand was in a cast, but that didn’t stop him from signing his National Letter of Intent for Clemson on Wednesday at Damascus High School. Fortunately, Bresee is right-handed and it was his left hand he broke while pass-rushing during a game last month.

“I was good,” said Bresee with a laugh about his ability to sign.

There was little that would keep Bresee (pronounced Bri-ZEE) from participating in the ceremonial milestone. The recruiting process had been a long and grueling one for the nation’s top-ranked high school football player. It began his freshman year with an offer to play for Maryland and ended with a contracted commitment to join the national championship program at Clemson next year.

“It’s extremely exciting. I’m already starting to ... ” said his father, Richie Bresee, whose eyes became misty. “It’s been a culmination of a lot of work. Bryan’s had a long run.”

Bresee is among a number of five-star recruits in the class of 2020 that Clemson was able to land. The Tigers topped the chart in recruiting this year, according to 247Sports. The program signed six five-star recruits (their most ever) and 11 four-star recruits, which comes as no surprise a year after the team won its third national championship and second title in three years

“It just so happens that the best players in the country this year are great fits for Clemson and we’re great fits for them,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.

The program’s success undoubtedly attracts elite prospects, but there is another factor that has allowed Clemson to distinguish itself from blue-blood legacy programs when it comes to recruiting.

“What’s unique about Clemson is they’re very careful and deliberate about recruiting guys that are a cultural fit for them,” said Barton Simmons, 247Sports’ director of football scouting. “They recruit personalities as much as talent.”

It is easy to spot the cultural compatibility between Bresee and his future team. Bresee opened his signing day speech by thanking God and his family, echoing Swinney’s words after winning last year’s national championship and the Christian-based culture the head coach has developed on the field.

“When we sign a guy, we think he’s a five-star because he fits the criteria that we’re looking for and brings certain things to the table that we think makes us better and fit our program,” Swinney said Wednesday. “We’re very committed to the due diligence of trying to get the right people here.”

Beyond faith, Bresee has found a connection with the Clemson coaching staff, particularly defensive coordinator Brent Venables and defensive tackles coach Todd Bates. The incoming defensive tackle decided to commit during a campus visit last spring. Bates was the first person outside his family he told.

“I was laying in my bed in a hotel room,” Bresee said. “My dad was in the bed across from me around 11 o’clock. All of the sudden I was like, ‘I think I’m gonna commit tomorrow.’”

He FaceTimed his mom, then sent Bates a text message.

“I asked him if he could set up a meeting with Coach Swinney the next morning,” Bresee said. “He sent me a couple question marks, so I sent him a little GIF that said, ‘All In.’”

The moment signaled an end to Bresee’s long recruiting journey. It was a decision that coaches at storied programs like Alabama, Ohio State and Penn State, as well as scouts across the country, eagerly awaited since the now 6-foot-5, 290-pound senior was first slotted in the number one spot by 247Sports as a rising sophomore.

Bresee has maintained that top ranking for the last three years on 247Sports’ list and remains among the top five in others’ rankings. 247Sports, one of the authorities on prospect rankings, uses a comprehensive method of weighing stats, feedback from regional analysts and team-side reporters and camp results to determine where a player ranks. The 247Sports team is constantly scrutinizing and adjusting their list, Simmons said, so it was rare for Bresee to stay No. 1 for so long.

“We almost expected at some point he might get passed up because that’s the nature of it,” Simmons said. “How often is the guy at the top of the initial rankings actually the best guy? But he just kept on getting better and staying better than everyone else that was nipping at his heels.”

Bresee has continued to prove himself deserving of his many accolades, which include the 2019 All-Met Defensive Player of the Year and Maryland’s 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year, both on the field and in a combine setting.

“He ran a 4.8 second [40-yard dash],” said Damascus defensive line coach Bill Simmons. “Just for comparison, that’s a hundredth of a second slower than the NFL’s Nick Bosa, who was a second round draft pick.”

Bresee also clocked a 4.13 second shuttle run, which is faster than Bosa, and has a 32-inch vertical jump, an inch and a half below the 49ers defensive end. Scouts also already see NFL potential in Bresee, and Swinney has compared his athleticism to Clemson alum Christian Wilkins, who was selected No. 13 by the Miami Dolphins.

But along with the opportunities afforded by promising talent comes immense pressure and scrutiny, which those close to Bresee said he has handled with grace.

“The coaches [at Damascus] have had a number of very good high school football players come through the program, so they wouldn’t have allowed Bryan to do anything but keep a level head,” Richie Bresee said. “He’s been good through the whole process. For Bryan, being that No. 1 just allowed him to get to Clemson.”

His coaches said they have seen Bresee mature as a player during their time with him, but there is one thing that has remained constant.

“Since day one he’s handled [the scrutiny] like a true champion,” Simmons said. “After all the games when he’s worn out and tired, he stays behind and signs autographs for kids.”

Bresee, true to form, didn’t pose for any solo pictures during his signing ceremony. Instead, he opted to get group photos with his teammates and family members. He shook hands with his coaches and hung around after the speeches to talk to fans.

“It’ll definitely be bittersweet that I won’t be playing in front of the town anymore,” he said. “But it’ll be cool moving down to a much bigger crowd and stadium.”

The move is quickly approaching for Bresee. He begins his Clemson orientation on Jan. 6 as an early enrollee. His father said he is looking forward to seeing his son’s transition.

“He’s still got a lot of growing up to do,” Richie said. “I think that’s what I’m most looking forward to — watching how he handles the transition from small town football in Damascus, Maryland to this big, wide stage where 90,000 people will be cheering for him every weekend.”

“I’m just looking forward to how he handles what comes next.”