While recruiting may have slowed down for some prospects during quarantine and the ongoing NCAA dead period that was instituted because of the coronavirus pandemic, quite the opposite has been the case for Milton (Ga.) four-star tight end Jack Nickel, a class of 2022 recruit who has piled up offers over the past few months.

“It actually went well,” Nickel told The Clemson Insider. “I think I had 13 offers before and now I have like 27 since March. I got LSU Friday, and then in May, I got offers from Miami, Notre Dame and Wisconsin, and also Oregon. So those were big ones.”

Nickel (6-4, 230) is on Clemson’s recruiting radar as well. Clemson has only offered one tight end in the 2022 class thus far – Bogart (Ga.) Oconee County four-star Jake Johnson – but Nickel would love to see an offer from the Tigers come his way if they expand their board at the position.

“Oh yeah, definitely,” he said. “I think they’re more looking at a ‘flex’ tight end, but I’d definitely be interested because of how close it is, and I have two teammates who play for Clemson, too.”

Nickel was referring to his former Milton High School teammates, safety Joseph Charleston and offensive lineman Paul Tchio, who signed with Clemson as part of its 2019 and 2020 classes, respectively. Nickel has a closer relationship with Tchio and has talked with him about his experience at the school so far since enrolling in January.

“He said he definitely liked it,” Nickel said, “and at the same time, it’s also like a wake-up call compared to high school because of all the scheduling — it’s so on point.”

Among the nearly 30 schools on Nickel’s offer list, he feels a handful of them have been showing the most interest.

“I’d say Notre Dame, LSU, Penn State, Iowa, Wisconsin and Colorado,” he said of the programs he has been communicating the most with.

Nickel’s decision timeline is fluid and up in the air right now.

“I’m not really sure,” he said of when he will commit to a school. “Could be like August or something, or it even could be during the season, after the season. It will just be a feel thing. We’ll see how it goes.”

Nickel said his “relationship with the coaching staff, how they use the tight end, and then academics” will be the most important factors in his college decision whenever he makes it.

Where would Clemson stand in his recruitment if it enters the race with an offer moving forward?

“It’d definitely be one of my top schools,” he said.

Nickel is ranked as high as the No. 6 tight end-Y in the 2022 class by ESPN, which considers him the No. 269 overall prospect in the class regardless of position.

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