Clemson's ongoing battle with Brent Venables for 4-star LB takes an interesting twist

While all signs point toward linebacker Jay Schell choosing between his father's alma mater of Clemson and Oklahoma, his four-star recruitment has unfurled an unexpected new wrinkle. Ahead of scheduled visits to Clemson and Norman, Schell made the trek to Ann Arbor last weekend to visit Michigan. The Wolverines nearly fell to Western Michigan, but Schell seemed to enjoy the experience.

"It ended up working out at the last minute that I could go and I figured it was best to know all Michigan had to offer before I made my final decision," Schell said on his Week 1 visit to Michigan.

It may have been totally impromptu, but Schell's trip to Michigan does create an extra level of confusion for Dabo Swinney and Brent Venables' teams in their recruitment of the four-star linebacker out of Rabun Gap, Ga. Schell has September visits lined up with both Clemson and Oklahoma, hoping to make a decision on where he is going to play college football at here soon.

“I feel like I am getting somewhat close to a decision, and I have felt that for a little bit of time,” Schell told The Clemson Insider. “Really, I just feel like I am an early guy. Lead the class, and kind of just focus on ball. The biggest thing for me is just getting better every day and winning football games with my guys. In order to do that, my attention needs to be on that.”

Michigan enters the race for Jay Schell's 4-star commitment in 11th hour

Likely choosing between Clemson and Oklahoma, Schell's primary recruiters are Ben Boulware to Clemson and Nate Dreiling to Oklahoma. Alex Whittingham was the one to convince Schell to come to Michigan to watch his father Kyle Whittingham make his Wolverines debut in The Big House. Michigan may have a ways to go to catch Clemson or Oklahoma, but it may factor into his decision.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Schell is the No. 17 player from Georgia, the No. 8 linebacker in the country, and the No. 142 overall prospect in the 2028 cycle. While he may have 47 offers, he is primarily looking at his father Matt's alma mater of Clemson or the program Venables now leads. Even though it has been a few seasons since he last coached in Clemson, Venables knows his linebackers.

While only time will tell if Venables truly was Clemson's secret sauce, it would not be shocking to see Schell ending up playing for him in Norman. Even if Schell hails from the southeastern region, he does go to a boarding school tucked away in the Appalachian Mountains. Tom Allen might be an excellent defensive mind, but Venables may go down as the greatest assistant to ever serve under Swinney.

Right now, all the late entry by Michigan does is serve as a distraction. If this last-minute visit to Ann Arbor sways him one way or another, that could be problematic. While Oklahoma is arguably the leader in the clubhouse, Clemson is home for Schell, or at least it was for his quarterback father. With Schell's decision coming in the next few weeks, we can only hope Clemson puts its best foot forward.

Clemson still has a great shot at landing him, but Michigan arriving late to his recruitment is so telling.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow