In January during the NCAA contact period, Clemson assistant Todd Bates traveled to the school of Roanoke (Ala.) Handley 2021 defensive end Dylan Brooks to watch one of the two-sport standout’s basketball games.
On Monday of this week, Brooks returned the favor with a trip to Clemson – his first unofficial visit to the school.
“It was fun,” Brooks told TCI. “It was my first time at their campus.”
Just a sophomore, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Brooks already owns a double-digit offer list that includes Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech among others.
Clemson is showing early interest as well, and while on campus, Brooks was able to speak with Bates, defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall, defensive coordinator Brent Venables and head coach Dabo Swinney.
“Keep doing what I’m doing and focus on school,” Brooks said of what he heard from the coaches. “They want me to come back (for another visit).”
Brooks was given a tour of the campus and especially enjoyed that aspect of the visit, as well as seeing the facilities.
What were his favorite parts of the football operations complex?
“The slide probably and the recovery room,” he said.
Brooks visited LSU last weekend, Alabama the weekend before that and Auburn at the end of February.
Asked which schools are standing out to him early in his recruitment, Brooks named LSU, Auburn and Clemson, and said “it would be awesome” to receive an offer from the defending national champs in the future.
“They’re a team that’s always top 5 to win and they would rank high on my list,” he said.
Brooks posted 55 total tackles, including 17 for loss and nine sacks, as a sophomore last season en route to All-State honors.
The class of 2021 prospect is focused mostly on football and knows his future is on the gridiron, but he plays basketball during the football offseason and stars for Handley High School on the hardwood as well.
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