Charlotte (N.C.) Mallard Creek five-star linebacker Trenton Simpson did not have an offer from Clemson when he arrived on campus Friday for an official visit.

However, by the end of the weekend, Simpson had become the newest member of the Tigers’ 2020 recruiting class.

“It’s a dream come true,” Simpson told The Clemson Insider. “I’m just excited to get here and go to work. I know that this is a place where I can be building and also get a great education, so this is the best feeling ever.”

Simpson (6-3, 220) announced his commitment to Clemson on Saturday shortly after receiving a long-awaited offer from head coach Dabo Swinney during the Tigers’ bowl practice.

“We were watching practice, and Coach Swinney had called me to the middle of the field and told me that he liked the process of me believing in Clemson and just trusting the process,” Simpson said. “He offered me and I told him I’m committed, like ‘I’m coming no matter what.’ It’s the best feeling ever knowing that I’ll be here in three weeks as a full-time student.”

Simpson originally committed to Auburn last June before reopening his recruitment in late October.

But Clemson was the offer he had been waiting for throughout the process, and Simpson says he knew “at a very young age” that he wanted to be a Clemson Tiger.

“I’ve been coming to games and coming to camps,” he said. “This has been some years and a long-thought process to know where I want to be. So, I’m just glad it happened the way it’s supposed to.”

Besides committing to Clemson, the highlight of the official visit for Simpson was seeing the Tigers go about practice with a fun energy.

“The biggest thing for me was just watching practice and seeing how everybody, when they came into practice, everybody was excited and loving what they’re doing,” he said. “That’s a dream of mine, just to continue to have fun with the sport and build great relationships with my teammates and also my coaches.”

Simpson also enjoyed hanging out with the other commits that were on campus for their official visits, and he is ecstatic to be a part of the nation’s top-ranked 2020 recruiting class.

“It’s a great feeling,” he said. “All the guys connect pretty good. We all have similar personalities, so I’m just ready to get to work with them and continue to bring championships here to Clemson.”

Simpson is set to enroll at Clemson in early January and thus will be able to participate in spring practice.

“I’ve been wanting to enroll early,” he said, “because I know I want to get here and work hard, get a head start, get in the weight room and also start those classes up so I can get those credits I need and hopefully take full advantage of it.”

Simpson plans to learn how to play multiple linebacker positions in defensive coordinator Brent Venables’ scheme.

“Inside and outside,” he said. “That’s another reason why I’m coming in, so I can learn both positions and take full advantage of my gifts that God has given me. So, just coming in early and willing to learn all the things from both positions.”

Simpson is ranked as the No. 2 outside linebacker and No. 13 overall prospect in the 2020 class per 247Sports, while Rivals slots him as the No. 2 OLB and No. 26 overall prospect in the class.

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