As Clemson tries to establish a recruiting presence in the state of Texas, the Tigers are showing early interest in a standout sophomore defensive end from the Lone Star State who will visit campus for the first time next month.
Class of 2021 prospect Landyn Watson of Hutto, Texas, confirmed to TCI that he is set to attend Clemson’s spring game April 6.
“I really want to visit Clemson and feel the championship atmosphere for myself,” he said.
Watson (6-3, 230) still has two years of high school football in front of him, but already owns a double-digit offer list that includes Baylor, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, Virginia Tech, Michigan State and others.
According to Watson, the Tigers have been keeping tabs on him since last year, specifically defensive coordinator Brent Venables and defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall.
“I’ve been getting mail from them and I’ve been receiving interest from Venables and Lemanski Hall,” he said. “The coaches have been showing interest through my coaches.”
Watson is highly interested in Clemson as well.
“I really see myself fitting in their defensive scheme and I would love playing for a head coach like Dabo,” he said, “and they definitely have a winning program.”
As a sophomore, Watson tallied 54 total tackles including 19 for loss, six sacks and 12 quarterback pressures.
The talented edge-rusher explained why he believes Clemson’s 4-3 scheme would fit his style of play.
“They are a true four-down front,” he said. “I see myself playing defensive end for them. Their scheme works against many offenses. This scheme fits my play and of being able to rush the passer and being able to drop into coverage if needed. I love being able to move around, be versatile and just make plays.”
It’s still early in the recruiting process for Watson, but several schools have made a strong impression on him thus far including Clemson.
“Schools that are standing out to me the most right now even without an offer is Clemson, TCU, OU, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Oklahoma State,” he said.
Watson made his most recent unofficial visit to Oklahoma. He is slated to visit Baylor this Saturday and Alabama next week. He is also scheduled to check out Arizona on April 13 and Oklahoma State on April 20, while he wants to visit Ohio State moving forward as well.
Move over Alabama, Clemson is the new King of College Football. In our new magazine “Little Ole Clemson”: The Best “Little” Dynasty Ever, we examine not just the 2018 team’s run to being “the best ever” but examine the last four seasons and how Dabo Swinney turned Clemson into the new dynasty of college football. We also take a look at the role former athletic director Terry Don Phillips played. We go behind the scenes at the Tigers’ run to a second national championship in three seasons and the previous three national championship runs. It also features stories on the Power Rangers, the 2018 senior class, high quality photos and much, much more.
We are pleased to announce that our latest magazine is ready for order. Get your order in today to make sure you get a copy of this collector’s edition.