Three years ago, Clemson picked up a late-rising safety from Alabama named T.J. Green.

Six days before Green starts in the National Championship against Alabama, Clemson offered Birmingham-Lee three-star safety Daniel Thomas.

Defensive backs coach Mike Reed pulled the trigger.

“Coach Reed, I talked to him. I called him (Tuesday)…he followed me on Twitter this morning, so I followed all of them back,” Thomas said. “Then, he told me to call him, so I called him. It was very interesting. They talked to my coach and they offered me. It went from there and we talked for a good 20 minutes on the phone.”

It was the first interaction of any kind that Thomas had with Clemson.

“(Reed) asked what my big-time goal was, how many spaces they have leaving, how good their program was, how if I come in and put the work in and I’d have a good chance of playing,” Thomas said. “They really want me to come in and play free safety…they really like my ball skills.”

Maryland and South Carolina are scheduled to have Thomas in for official visits later this month. A trip to Clemson could be in the works, but He has to speak with his parents first.

As a senior, Thomas had 87 tackles, seven interceptions, five tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two punts returned for touchdown.