The Clemson Insider recently caught up with Matthews (N.C.) Weddington five-star running back and Clemson commit Will Shipley to get his thoughts on a variety of topics, including the current state of major college football and where the Tigers stand with certain priority targets.

Shipley, the nation’s top-ranked all-purpose back, commented on the Big Ten and Pac-12 deciding last week to not play football this fall and instead wait until the spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shipley was surprised those conferences opted to go in that direction but respects their decisions, and he is glad to see the other three Power Five conferences, especially the ACC, push forward and continue planning for a fall season.

“I was shocked to see the Pac-12 and Big Ten opt out,” he said. “I think that a lot of the players are disappointed from what I’ve seen, but obviously if they’re doing it, they’re doing it for a reason. So, I respect it. I think they could have come up with a plan just like the ACC, SEC and Big 12 are trying to do, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to do what’s best for you. Governing bodies are going to do what’s best for the people under it, the players, things like that.

“I’m very happy that the ACC is holding strong. I hope that they can continue to take the blows and just make it happen. I’d absolutely love to see Clemson play this year.”

On the recruiting front, the Tigers picked up a couple of commitments toward the end of last month, including a verbal pledge from Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley four-star defensive tackle Payton Page.

Shipley is friends with Page, his fellow North Carolinian, and was excited to see him jump on board.

“I was real happy,” he said. “Me and Payton have known each other for a while now, dating all the way back to freshman year when we both started getting recruited. But he’s a great kid. Actually, I hesitated right there to call him a kid because he’s absolutely huge. But he was a huge addition to our class.”

Per the 247Sports Composite team rankings, Clemson’s 2021 class is currently ranked as the No. 3 class in the country behind only Ohio State and Alabama, respectively. Both the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide hold three more commitments than the Tigers right now (18).

Remaining available spots are limited in Clemson’s class, but Shipley is trying to help the program finish out this cycle with a bang by doing what he can to aid the Tigers’ recruiting efforts with several top prospects they are pursuing.

Shipley said the main targets he communicates with are Fairfax (Va.) Robinson five-star offensive tackle Tristan Leigh, Lititz (Pa.) Warwick five-star offensive tackle Nolan Rucci, Covington (Ga.) Newton four-star cornerback Nyland Green and Austin (Texas) LBJ four-star safety Andrew Mukuba.

“Those are four of our priority targets I’d say, four guys that I’m talking to, and hopefully we can get them on board,” Shipley said.

Where does Shipley think the Tigers stand with the aforementioned recruits, based on the feel he is getting from his conversations with them?

“I think that with Andrew Mukuba, I feel like we’ve got a pretty good chance,” he said. “A couple other schools are in the mix, but I think the coronavirus kind of screwed up his recruitment, things here and there. He wasn’t able to take a visit to Clemson.

“With both O-tackles, I know they’re really high-priority prospects, not only for Clemson but for a number of schools. So, I think it’s just if we can get them back on campus, I think we’ll have a great chance with both of them because that’s what we’re known for. Coach Swinney is such a great recruiter in person, on campus. So, I think if we’re getting the opportunity to get them on campus, then he can make it happen.

“And Nyland Green would be a huge pickup. I know he’s between a couple of schools – Auburn, Clemson and more I can’t even remember. But I think we can also get him as well. It’d be huge to get him back on campus, and if we can, I think it’ll be a sealed deal as well.”

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