Drake Thomas, one of the country’s top 2019 middle linebackers, traveled to Clemson on Saturday for the program’s elite junior day.

“It was awesome,” Thomas told The Clemson Insider. “I enjoyed it a lot.”

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney closed the junior day with a speech to the visitors, and it made a profound impression on the Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage product.

“Coach Swinney gave us a very good talk at the end of the visit that I liked a lot,” Thomas said. “He talked about a lot of things because he spoke for about an hour and a half, but it was basically about being the best person you can be in everything and why Clemson is a good fit for those people.”

Physical, smart and athletic, Thomas fits the mold of linebacker that Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables likes to recruit.

Venables let him know as much during the junior day.

“Coach Venables just told me I’m their kind of player,” Thomas said, “and I would be a great fit in their defense and they really like me.”

Thomas (6-1, 225) left Clemson thoroughly impressed by what the Tigers have to offer. He said his experience positively impacted Clemson’s position in his recruitment.

”I don’t have an exact list, but they’re definitely up high for me,” Thomas said. “The visit did impact me.”

Thomas’s recruitment is still picking up steam and he hasn’t yet settled on a group of favorites, though Clemson is one of them.

Besides Clemson, Thomas (6-1, 225) possesses offers from NC State, North Carolina, Michigan, Virginia Tech and West Virginia among his dozen-plus total.

“I have a lot of schools standing out for me right now,” he said. “I haven’t narrowed anything down at this point.”

Thomas also visited Clemson for the Florida State game in November after receiving an offer from Clemson over the summer. He made the junior day visit with his father and younger brother.

As a junior last season, Thomas registered 112 tackles, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.