Clemson’s top and only defensive tackle target in the 2021 class is now formally down to three schools.

Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley five-star Payton Page named a Final 3 of Clemson, North Carolina and Tennessee on Thursday night via social media.

The 6-foot-4, 315-pounder is ranked as high as the No. 9 overall prospect in the 2021 class by ESPN, which considers him a five-star recruit. He was previously working with a top five of Clemson, North Carolina, Tennessee, LSU and Oregon, so the latter two programs have been eliminated from the mix.

Clemson has been one of the top contenders in Page’s recruitment since he received an offer from the Tigers last summer. He visited Death Valley for the Texas A&M and Wake Forest games last season and then returned to campus for the program’s elite junior day in January.

“When I go to Clemson, they treat me like family, first,” Page told The Clemson Insider recently. “They actually say hey to my family first, then me.”

Defensive tackles coach Todd Bates is Page’s primary recruiter for Clemson, and the two have built a strong relationship.

“Some of these coaches, there’s this thing called over-recruiting,” Page said. “They do a little too much sometimes and it makes me feel like I’m uncomfortable with them sometimes. But Coach Todd, it just feels like I’m talking to one of my bros to be honest.”

Page also built a bond with Clemson five-star defensive end commit Korey Foreman when they were both on campus for the elite junior day and knows he has a chance to be a part of something special if he decides to join Foreman and guys like Bryan Bresee on the Tigers’ D-line.

“It would be kind of crazy,” he said. “Just wow … Him at D-end, I’m at D-tackle, Bryan at D-tackle would be kind of crazy.”

Clemson’s staff has let Page know he is the lone D-tackle they’re pursuing right now and have tried to ease any concerns he may have about early playing time in a talented D-line corps.

“Basically they’ve been telling me a lot of people’s going to get in my head about playing time and Clemson,” Page said. “They said if I do go there, there’s only one person that’s going to look like me, and that’s me.”

Page wants to make his commitment decision before his senior year.

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