NEW ORLEANS – Five-star defensive lineman Bryan Bresee is one of Clemson’s early enrollees that had the unique opportunity to practice with the team in Clemson as it prepped for Monday’s national championship game against LSU.

Bresee, the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect according to multiple recruiting service, went through two days of practice after arriving on campus last Sunday.

“Bryan Bresee, he’s showing up and just ready to work, man,” Clemson defensive tackles coach Todd Bates told The Clemson Insider on Saturday during the Tigers’ media day for the national title game. “I tell you this, he’s eager to prove it. He’s just ready to earn his way, and he’s got a workman mentality right now and I believe that’s who he is. He’s ultra-talented, ultra-twitchy, explosive off the ball. All those things have traveled with him to Clemson, so I’m really excited about him.”

Bates said he has never been around a player who came in as physically ready to play as Bresee, who is listed at 6-foot-5, 290 pounds. Plus, according to Bates, Bresee has the type of characteristic attitude it takes to be great.

“He’s a special player, and he’s a special person, too,” Bates said. “Again, a lot of guys, when they’re that high-profile and they know already they’re the best, they just let their reputation speak. But reputations are foundations. They’re meant to be built upon, and he has that mentality. He’s ready to come in and build on that.”

A first-team Washington Post All-Met defensive lineman as a junior and senior, Bresee concluded his career at Damascus (Md.) High School with 134 career tackles, including 80.5 for loss, with 35 sacks. He had 47 tackles, including 30.5 for loss and 14 sacks, as a senior this season while leading his team to a 13-2 record and state championship.

Bresee is capable of excelling at both defensive tackle and defensive end.

“He can play anywhere along that defensive line,” Bates said. “That’s how athletic he is, and then be the best at it. He’s so instinctual as a player as well. He understands just offensive line play as well, where their hands are coming from and how to attack them. It’s going to be fun to coach him.”

Bresee committed to Clemson on April 23, 2019, over finalists Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Penn State and dozens of other offers.

The genuine bond that Bates, head coach Dabo Swinney, defensive coordinator Brent Venables and defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall built with Bresee helped the Tigers beat out the plethora of other suitors that pursued him.

“We built a relationship with him,” Bates said. “Coach Venables and myself, Coach Swinney, Coach Hall, all of our staff, every time he came here, we just really built a real relationship with him, and at the end of the day, that was the difference, just the relationship we were able to build with him.”

“He’s such a fun-loving person, and he’s magnetic,” Bates continued. “You want to be around him, and he makes other people better. That’s the quality that’s hard to find. You can find a lot of good players around the country, but only probably a handful that make those around him better, and he gets the best version out of everybody around him. It’ inspiring to see.”

Bresee broke his left hand while pass-rushing during a game in November, but it did not affect him during practice at Clemson, and Bates expects him to be over the injury by the time spring practice comes around.

“It didn’t hamper him at all,” Bates said. “He’s ready to go. He’s got about four or five weeks to let that thing heal on up and then spring training, he’ll be ready to roll.”