Richburg (S.C.) Lewisville High School head football coach William Mitchell typically doesn’t think it is in an athlete’s best interest to commit to a school on the heels of a visit to that school.

But in the case of Lewisville four-star defensive tackle Josh Belk, who committed to Clemson a day after his visit for the school’s Junior Day on Jan. 28, Mitchell was more than fine with it.

“I usually don’t want them to commit on campus just because I don’t want them to make a decision and then change their mind,” Mitchell said during a recent interview with The Clemson Insider. “In Josh’s case, though, he called me that night and felt very confident about it. I knew he’d been leaning that way a little bit, and then I think he went home, slept on it and felt real good about it the next morning.”

At one time considered a South Carolina lean, Belk chose Clemson over South Carolina, LSU, Florida State, North Carolina, N.C. State and others among his dozen offers, becoming the fifth member of Clemson’s 2018 recruiting class.

Mitchell believes Clemson appeals to Belk on a number of levels, including its small-town family atmosphere and history of producing NFL players along the defensive line.

Having been primarily recruited by former Clemson defensive tackles coach Dan Brooks, who retired following the 2016 season, Belk also felt good about new defensive line coach Todd Bates after meeting him during Junior Day.

“Right now Clemson is hitting on all cylinders,” Mitchell said. “What doesn’t appeal to you about Clemson right now?”

Belk, a top-10 prospect in South Carolina and the No. 1 prospect at his position in the state according to Rivals, is blessed with uncommon physical tools and abilities.

Now a chiseled 285 pounds, Belk came into Lewisville as a freshman weighing 338 pounds without ever lifting weights to that point. He didn’t play football before high school and had played a combined nine games of organized football before earning all-state honors as a junior this past season.

“Where he stands out, he’s so explosive and so flexible that they’re going to get just a high-level athlete as far as physical ability,” Mitchell said of what Clemson is getting in Belk. “He’s gifted and blessed, and he knows it. He’s got the athletic ability that a lot of other kids just do not have.”

Belk has always possessed the raw athleticism that made him a highly touted recruit, but in his third season of football, he made strides as a player in terms of understanding of the game and how to play it.

“He got handed some real nice gifts to start with, but he’s done an excellent job of building on top of those, and I feel like the same will be true at Clemson,” Mitchell said. “I feel like he’s going to really blossom under the high-level coaches.”

Belk has desirable intangibles to boot. Mitchell said he’s a driven person with a vision for what he wants to accomplish and the work ethic to go get it.

Mitchell added that Belk exhibits high character that was instilled in him by his parents, and he’s a family-oriented individual.

“His character is through the roof, and that’s a credit to his mother and father,” Mitchell said. “The best thing I can say about Josh is he really does have a vision for where he wants to go in his life. And obviously part of that would be he’d like to one day be able to play football at the highest level. But he also has a vision, where he’s going to use this to get his degree.”

Belk will graduate in December and enroll early at Clemson next January. That will allow him to participate in spring practice before the 2018 season and get a jumpstart on his collegiate career.

With his traits as a human being, talent and hardworking ways, Mitchell is confident he will be successful at the next level and beyond that in life.

“I don’t think he’s going to be a kid who’s intimidated in any way, shape or form, and I think the spring will help transition-wise,” Mitchell said. “How early does he play? I don’t know. We’ll see. But the sky’s the limit on that kid just in general.”