TE Reid Mikeska clicks with Clemson culture

Reid Mikeska‘s bags were packed. His plane sat on the runway for eight hours, but his return trip to Death Valley never transpired.

Nonetheless, the trip that never materialized was enough fuel for Mikeska to make the call for Clemson on Wednesday.

Mikeska, the No. 26-ranked tight end in the nation on the On3 Consensus, clicked with the entire Tigers staff since his first time on campus.

“The family atmosphere they have, the coaches, the culture there, I love where it’s located,” Mikeska told On3. “In the end, it was the culture, how much loved they show — not just me, but my family.”

“It’s been unmatched,” said Mikeska, who chose Clemson over Alabama, LSU, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida, among others.

Swinney plays leading role

Part of the reason why was Dabo Swinney.

The head Tiger personally offered the Cypress (Tex.) Bridgeland tight end during his March visit and has continued to play a lead role in his recruitment. So has passing game coordinator and tight ends coach Kyle Richardson and former Clemson standout Tajh Boyd, who is also on the staff.

“Definitely Coach Swinney, Coach Richardson and Coach Tajh Boyd were big,” Mikeska said. “I talk to them all the time and really clicked with them and I’m a big fan of them, especially Coach Swinney. He’s so involved with his players.”

“I feel secure about it,” he added on his commitment. “It’s where my family feels is a great fit. I feel like it’s a great place. The coaches think it’s a great fit as well.”

Mikeska packs major Saturday upside

As a junior, Mikeska turned 24 receptions into 229 yards and four touchdowns, playing alongside five-star Texas A&M freshman signal-caller Conner Weigman. In Bridgeland’s offense, the 6-foot-6, 230-pounder lined up as an H-back and as a jump slot receiver.

Mikeska made the most of his catches — largely as a safety valve underneath, to which the athletic tight end shined with sure hands and speed to move the sticks consistently. Mikeska is a motivated blocker out of the backfield and has a physical style with the ball in his hands, too.

This spring, the newly minted Clemson verbal clocked a 4.65-second 40, which matches the speed in stride on film.

Mikeska saw limited snaps as a flexed-out receiver, but shined nonetheless. He’s well-versed in making plays in the middle of the field and can catch through contact. As a big-framed pass-catcher with speed and athleticism, Mikeska should have opportunities to have an even bigger impact on Saturdays in Clemson’s quicker, RPO-based attack.

Mikeska is the No. 26-rated tight end on the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also a top-100 player in the state of Texas.