Storybook Ending: 4-star DL Caden Story signs with Clemson Tigers

LANETT (Ala.) — There was a time when Clemson’s staff was unsure if it was going to land a blue-chip defensive lineman in their 2022 class.

It was a real possibility that they wouldn’t, but the Tigers were able to change their fortunes in the eleventh hour of this recruiting cycle.

On Wednesday, four-star prospect Caden Story announced he would be signing with the Tigers. Story chose Clemson over Florida and Auburn, the latter of which was the school he was previously committed to.

This was an impressive victory as the Gators gave Story and his family a lot to think about this past weekend. Florida showcased a combination of academic and football opportunities that opened their eyes, with Story wrestling with his decision up until Monday night.

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Clemson was able to come out on top, making for a necessary win in this class.

According to the On3 Consensus, Story is a top-25 defensive lineman and a top-10 player in the state of Alabama in the 2022 class. He also becomes the ninth four-star prospect to team up with the Tigers.

The Eason Effect is real for Clemson

After pursuing and eventually missing out on Khurtiss Perry, it appeared unlikely that Clemson would get a defensive tackle in this class.

Then, Nick Eason arrived.

Eason somewhat changed the perception that people had of the Tigers’ recruiting efforts in January. Clemson went from being in the mix for one blue-chip player (T.J. Dudley) to being in contention for another one and having a legitimate shot at landing him.

Most of the credit is due to Eason here and the relationship he’s built with Story. If not for that bond, then Clemson wouldn’t have even pursued Story, who may have stayed at Auburn or gone to Florida.

In our Clemson-related conversations with Story and his father, Clifford, it was Eason who was consistently brought up. Story views him as a father figure and someone he can trust when making the transition to the college life.

Clemson fans were right to be excited about the addition of Eason last month. On top of landing Story, Eason is thought of highly by some of the Tigers’ top d-lineman targets in the 2023 cycle.

Story joins a Clemson defensive tackles group that may need all the help it can get in a couple of seasons. After this upcoming year, all but one (Payton Page) of the Tigers’ players in that room will be draft eligible.