3-star CB Shelton Lewis picks Clemson

Stockbridge (Ga.) three-star cornerback Shelton Lewis always planned to commit on his birthday.

It became clear recently that could be the case. But Lewis had to pick which of the 25 schools that have offered him he would attend.

He sat down his family and started thinking about his goals — to be an all-conference rookie defender, to win the Jim Thorpe Award, to make the NFL. He started thinking about what schools could help him accomplish those goals.

Lewis narrowed his options down to just two schools: Clemson and North Carolina.

“I say it was a very tough decision because I built relationships with coaches from both staffs,” Lewis told On3. “It was a hard decision picking a school but I finally had to make one.”

But in the end, he decided to go with the Tigers.

Clemson fully entered his recruitment only more recently, and he didn’t pick up his offer until the end of July when he attended the All In Cookout.

His experience at the event played a major factor in his decision.

“I felt like I wasn’t just a pin in the crowd,” Lewis said. “Everybody knew me. Everybody showed love. Even the committed players were showing me love like I was already there with him.”

Cornerbacks coach Mike Reed has been leading his recruitment.

“He’s very straightforward,” Lewis said. “He don’t tell you no lies. He just gonna let you know what it is. I feel like he’s a great dude.”

Lewis is the No. 103 cornerback in the 2023 On3 Consensus. He is the third cornerback recruit in the Tigers class.

The opportunity to play for Clemson is a dream for Lewis, who has had his eye on the program for years.

“Before I started getting recruited, my parents told me to write down 10 schools and Clemson was at that top,” Lewis said. “Just to have that get accomplished was a big goal.

“I know Clemson can set me up on and off the field.”