On Wednesday, the NCAA announced that the recruiting dead period has been extended again, this time through May 31. Prior to this decision, the dead period was scheduled to be lifted on April 15.

The NCAA dead period was first implemented last March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has been extended several times since, meaning all in-person contact between coaches and recruits has been banned for nearly a full year now. During a dead period, coaches are not allowed to have face-to-face interactions with recruits and cannot visit their high schools or homes, while prospects are not able to make recruiting visits to college campuses.

After the NCAA officially extended the dead period, The Clemson Insider reached out to some of Clemson’s targets and other prospects on the Tigers’ recruiting radar to get their reactions to the news:

Clemson commit Blake Miller, 2022 4-star OL, Strongsville, Ohio (Strongsville): “Although I don’t agree with it personally, there is nothing really anyone can do about it. It is what it is I guess.”

Keon Sabb (pictured above), 2022 5-star S, Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy): “Disappointed, was looking forward to making visits. It’s a setback with visits.”

Jihaad Campbell, 2022 4-star DE, Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy): “It’s kind of crazy.”

Nikai Martinez, 2022 4-star CB, Apopka, Fla. (Apopka): “It kind of hurt, I’m not going to lie. I was looking forward to just waiting until April but now I have no faith of the dead period ending and now it’s hard because it’s like they want us to commit somewhere we’ve never been before. I don’t know how they expect us to make a 40-year decision without physically seeing the school and the coaches we are going to be around.”

DJ Wesolak, 2022 4-star DE, Boonville, Mo. (Boonville): “It’s shocking to a lot of recruits that it got pushed even farther since most of us are making life decisions based off internet research and not being there physically in person to see things for yourself. So maybe some recruits start committing now and some wait even longer to see if it’ll stay the same, but it hurts us players because sometimes you can get your spot taken if you’re not quick to commit. So yeah, it’s interesting that they pushed it farther but maybe it’s for the best in our health.”

Davin Jackson, 2022 DE, Sumter, S.C. (Sumter): “It makes it really hard for the class of 2022 to make any decisions, because you are not able to step foot on a campus and interact with the people that will become your family for the next three to four years.”

Samuel Okunlola, 2022 DE, Brockton, Mass. (Thayer Academy): The dead period being pushed back was expected. It was rumored to be pushed back months ago, so I’m not surprised. Hopefully at some point I do get to go on visits.”

Caleb Downs, 2023 4-star S, Hoschton, Ga. (Mill Creek): “Not a fan of the decision they made. They should allow it, just give guidelines about it.”

Payton Kirkland, 2023 OT, Orlando, Fla. (Dr. Phillips): “I’m fine with it being extended when it comes to me personally. But I understand how the ’22 class could feel. The NCAA wants you to pick a school that’s best for you but won’t allow us to figure what school is best for us.”

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