No matter what happens, four-star linebacker Jay Schell is going to play for someone with strong Clemson ties. While the Clemson legacy could end up playing for his father Matt's team, there is another team Dabo Swinney and his staff need to worry about. That would be the Oklahoma Sooners. OU is led by Swinney's former superstar defensive coordinator, Brent Venables. Keep an eye on them.
Although Schell hails from Rabun Gap, Ga., the home-state Georgia Bulldogs are not a finalist for his four-star services. According to Hayes Fawcett of On3/Rivals, Schell has narrowed his recruitment down to only Clemson and Oklahoma. If he does end up committing to Clemson soon, Schell would join four-star quarterback Trace Hawkins as the second member of the Tigers' 2028 recruiting class.
Schell told TigerNet how hard both Clemson and Oklahoma are pursuing him during his recruitment.
"They're definitely recruiting me hard and making me feel like I'm very important to them, and they've said that," Schell said to TigerNet. "They're definitely in my top couple of schools."
NEWS: Four-Star LB Jay Schell is down to Clemson and Oklahoma, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) August 26, 2026
The 6’3 215 LB is ranked as the No. 9 LB in the 2028 Rivals300https://t.co/BNYJEBa0kU pic.twitter.com/pJE8w5RMMo
Dabo Swinney must put the Clemson connection first to land Jay Schell
There is no way around it. It will be a challenge for Swinney and his staff to land Schell, even if his father played quarterback for the Tigers at the turn of the century. Rabun Gap may not be all that far from Clemson, but keep in mind that his boarding school tucked away in the Appalachian Mountains. Schell is more used to living on his own than most of the other players Clemson could be recruiting.
Not only that, but Venables specializes in coaching up his position group. When Clemson was at its peak as a program under Swinney, it was Venables who was calling the shots on defense. In the years since he left to go take over at Oklahoma, we have seen one program ascend in the SEC, while the other stumbled in the ACC. It is not a perfect correlation, but Venables' departure to OU has mattered.
The good news for Clemson is the Tigers have more time to land this four-star recruit than if he were a member of the 2027 class. The bad news is Oklahoma was a playoff team a year ago and may be more likely to make it back this year than Clemson. Clearly, Schell values being part of a winning football culture throughout his recruitment. Right now, Clemson needs to play catch-up a bit.
What Swinney and his staff need to do is maintain a healthy relationship with Schell throughout the recruiting process, as well as hope they will have a bounce-back season after last year's disaster. Winning is not everything in college football, but it certainly is something. Let's be real, if Clemson has a better season than Oklahoma, it could play a huge part in Schell coming aboard in the 2028 class.
Schell may be one of Swinney's kind of guys, but Venables was cut from a similar cloth at Clemson.
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