Over the weekend, class of 2020 standout Coziah Izzard returned to Clemson for the first time since last summer.
The four-star defensive lineman from Laurel (Md.) St. Vincent Pallotti visited campus on Saturday with his mother.
Izzard (6-3, 246) spent the day with Clemson defensive tackles coach Todd Bates.
“It was really good,” Izzard told TCI. “I was with coach Todd Bates on my visit. He just showed me the weight room and brought me to his office to show me slides about Clemson and the team, slides about Clemson’s defensive players throughout the years and comparing Clemson’s defensive stats to other teams.
“He basically showed me that Clemson has a history of producing top defensive players, and that with hard work I can be at the same level.”
The visit marked Izzard’s first to Clemson since he competed at the Dabo Swinney Camp last June as a rising sophomore. He also attended the Tigers’ junior day in March 2017.
Clemson and his experiences on campus have made a strong impression.
“What they’ve produced over the past years (stands out),” Izzard said, “and whenever I’m at Clemson it just feels right to be there, and Coach Bates makes me feel like I’m home at Clemson.”
Izzard owns a double-digit offer list that includes Power Five offers from Georgia, Maryland, Michigan State, Virginia Tech, Virginia, North Carolina, Syracuse, Boston College, Wake Forest and Rutgers.
He is hoping to see Clemson join that list.
“Getting an offer from Clemson would mean a lot to me,” Izzard said. “I feel like I’ve built a good relationship with Coach Bates, and having that offer would be a dream come true because I absolutely love the place.”
Izzard said Clemson would be in his top three should it offer. He is currently working with an undisclosed top five.
“I definitely have a top five list of schools, but there are still several schools that I would like to visit, so I’m not ready to make a decision yet,” he said.
Izzard’s area recruiter for Clemson, Mike Reed, stopped by his school last month near the start of the spring evaluation period.
Izzard is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 10 weak-side defensive end and No. 157 overall prospect in the 2020 class.