NEW ORLEANS – When Clemson linebacker Bryton Constantin arrived to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Friday afternoon ahead of Monday’s national championship game against LSU, it marked his return to his native state of Louisiana.

“Just stepping off the plane, I smelt that air, it felt like home,” Constantin told The Clemson Insider on Saturday during Clemson’s media day for the national title game. “The Superdome, I won two back-to-back state championships in there, so I’m going to feel real at home on Monday.”

Constantin, a freshman from LSU’s stomping ground of Baton Rouge, has redshirted this season while rehabbing from a knee injury and will not be able to suit up in the national title game.

Constantin suffered an ACL tear last February before re-tearing the ACL early in the fall, though he is making good progress in his recovery.

“I’m doing great this time,” he said. “I should be back around spring. Might not play in the spring game, don’t want to get hurt again. Just being cautious, but I’ll be back.”

Constantin, a former four-star prospect, committed to Clemson on April 13, 2018, over offers from Auburn, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Boston College and Baylor among others.

While there may have been some pressure for Constantin to stay closer to home, he did not care about that when Clemson came calling.

“I told my family and friends, I’m going to go wherever makes me happy,” he said. “This isn’t really up for debate. This isn’t a fashion show or anything like that. I’m going to go where I can be my best, and that was Clemson.”

Since Constantin enrolled at Clemson this past summer, he has become good friends with fellow Bayou State native and Tigers’ star running back Travis Etienne.

“Me and Travis are real cool,” he said. “We’re the only Louisiana boys on the team, so me and him just talk about leaving home and coming here all the time.”

Constantin attended University Laboratory School, which is located on LSU’s campus.

Now, Constantin is getting ready to watch Clemson play against his hometown team on Monday night for the national championship at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, where he helped University Lab win state championships in 2017 and 2018.

“It’s a real special feeling, going to that school for four years and just kind of being embedded in the LSU culture 24/7, seven days a week, and then I leave,” he said. “Just being able to play them, it’s kind of like a dream come true, even though I am injured. I’m not going to be playing, but just the feeling, it’s just going to be a dream come true.”

Clemson is going back to the national championship game after once again winning the Fiesta Bowl over Ohio State. Get your official national championship and Fiesta Bowl champs gear right here!