4-star EDGE Bryce Davis commits to Clemson: 'You just can't beat that family feeling at Clemson'
Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley EDGE Bryce Davis thought he had his mind made up weeks ago. Clemson had the momentum after his official visit to Death Valley on May 31. Georgia was viewed as Clemson’s biggest competition, but Duke hung around too.
Over the last week, Manny Diaz and the Blue Devils gave Davis a lot to think about. Duke had some buzz on Friday, but in the end Dabo Swinney‘s program was the one for the No. 71 prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking.
“I made the final decision on Saturday morning,” Davis told On3. “It was an extremely tough decision. It took a lot of mental toughness to make this decision. I went back and forth between Clemson and Duke and it was tough. My final decision is Clemson.”
The feeling Davis had when he left that official visit to Clemson never went away. That is what it came to.
“You just can’t beat that family feeling at Clemson. People talk about it and you hear a lot about it, but Clemson is different. There is nothing fake about Clemson or the people at Clemson and that is what put them on top of my list.
“I loved it, my parents loved it and the feeling there was different. Seeing what it is like and spending time around Dabo Swinney, coach Mike Reed, coach Chris Rumph and coach Nick Eason changed things for me. Clemson became my top school because of the people.”
Davis is excited about playing for the staff at Clemson
Duke became a major factor late, but the 6-foot-2.5, 265-pound defender left his official visit to Clemson with that feeling and nobody changed his mind. He went with that “gut feeling” and he knew he wanted to be a Tiger.
Davis loves the staff and the people he will get to play for. It starts at the top with Swinney.
“He is a great man,” Davis said. “On the visit, he told me and my parents about his background and why he is the man he is today. I love how he goes about things. The media can spin a narrative however they want to, but he is a real person. Coach Swinney puts his players, coaches and family first. He cares about people and coach Swinney does a lot for that program.”
Swinney has a loyal staff under him. The two coaches that recruited Davis are Eason and Rumph. He is excited to work with both in Death Valley.
“You can’t beat that tandem. They work really well together, they compliment each other and they both bring hype, energy and experience. I can’t wait to be a sponge and learn from them both.
“Coach Eason is great, coach Rumph is full of energy and I love my relationships with both. They treat me like I am a player there already and they both make my parents feel like part of the program. It was great to feel like a priority by them.”
The feeling at Clemson was different for Davis
Georgia led for a long time. Duke made a real push. Clemson surged over the summer and Davis couldn’t be happier about his decision.
“Everyone keeps coming back to Clemson for a reason,” Davis said. “It is just different there. Everyone wants to be part of the Clemson family. The coaches are around, their families are always there, the president of the school is around and it is a place where you feel safe and loved.”
The new Clemson commit sees a great opportunity as a person and player the elite ACC program.
“At Clemson, I will be able to market my name and have a great chance at playing early. There are some great opportunities for me there. I know the people there have my best interest at heart, so I trust the people, I know they care for me and me and my family are excited about what is to come.”