4-star EDGE Tomarrion Parker commits to Clemson, his 'dream school'

Clemson was the first school that Phenix City (Ala.) Central four-star EDGE Tomarrion Parker ever visited. After his trip there in June 2020, he knew that he wanted to commit as soon as the Tigers offered him.

That day came on Aug. 11, 48 hours after Parker decommitted from Penn State. According to Parker, Clemson was the first school to contact him after he backed off his pledge to the Nittany Lions.

Parker still felt something special about the Tigers, which is why he privately committed to head coach Dabo Swinney and defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall in mid-October. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound prospect made the news official on Monday by choosing Clemson over Penn State, Tennessee and Texas A&M.

“Clemson’s always been a dream school of mine,” Parker told On3. “My dad grew up a Clemson fan, so I’ve been always around Clemson. Clemson does a great job of producing defensive ends. Coach Hall does a great job of producing players on and off the field, great young men. I just love the coaching staff and the tradition. There’s a lot of returning players on staff, so it’s like nobody’s new. Everybody knows each other. Everybody has a story of how they met.”

Parker believes he can see the field early at Clemson because Bryan Bresee, K.J. Henry and Myles Murphy among others may head to the 2023 NFL Draft. That opportunity excites the Alabama native, who took an official visit to the Tigers on Oct. 21 prior to his commitment.

Under Swinney, Clemson has won two national championships and seven conference titles. Parker believes that he and the other members of the Tigers’ 2023 recruiting class can earn “multiple” of those achievements over the next few seasons.

“I just want to be a part of the culture, make a difference for the school, do whatever I can to help the community, help the fans,” said Parker, the No. 79 overall prospect and No. 12 EDGE in the 2023 On3 Consensus. “Obviously, I want to help the team and win and be an impact player, but I know it’s bigger than football as well. As long as I can make a difference in somebody else’s life, I did my job.”

Clemson’s ‘family-oriented’ atmosphere is special to Parker

According to Parker, Tennessee “never let up” in their pursuit. The Volunteers got him on campus for five unofficial visits, most recently on Oct. 15.

But Clemson still sealed the deal, despite offering in the summer. A key reason is that Parker and his family loved the program’s “family-oriented” culture.

“They bring a warm welcoming,” Parker said. “It’s like you don’t want to leave, and I don’t plan on leaving.”

Parker also chose the Tigers because of Hall, who has coached defensive ends at Clemson since 2018. According to Parker, Hall got “super excited” when he told him that he was committing to the Tigers. The Alabama native elicited a similar reaction from Swinney and Clemson commits such as Alabaster (Ala.) four-star defensive lineman Peter Woods, Warner Robins (Ga.) four-star defensive lineman Vic Burley and McDonough (Ga.) Eagles Landing Christian Academy four-star offensive tackle Zechariah Owens.

According to Parker, Hall is a “great man.” Now, the top-100 prospect is ready to learn from him and become the next talent in a long list of successful Tigers pass rushers.

“He is a great coach, so he cares about you outside of football as well,” Parker said. “He’ll do a lot for you and make sure you’re good in life. He’s definitely a great coach and I can’t wait for him to coach me.”