By Hale McGranahan.

Mecole Hardman, one of the top rated athletes in the class of 2016, was in Clemson on Saturday night for his first game in Memorial Stadium.

“It was just great,” he told TheClemsonInsider late Saturday night.

Before the game, he spoke at length with the Clemson coaches, including running backs coach/area recruiter Tony Elliott and wide receivers coach Jeff Scott.

“It was pretty much the same conversations,” Hardman said. “They were saying they’d love for me to come to school and they were telling me more in detail about the school, academics-wise, what they’re trying to do with the program, where they’re trying to get to, what they’re trying to be as a team and what I could do to contribute to the team, if I come.

“Just really the same things that they tell you all the time. They really want you to come to their school.”

Hardman also caught up with his cousin, redshirt freshman running back Tyshon Dye, who’s nearing a return from an Achilles injury.

“We were asking how each other was doing, this and that,” Hardman said. “Today, we talked about his injury and how he’s doing, when he’s coming back. He said he’s doing good.”

Like Dye, Hardman has been sidelined with an injury this season — the meniscus that he tore in September.

“My recovery (time) was four to six weeks. I’m in my fifth week right now,” Hardman said. “It’s doing good. I’ve got full motion. I’m sprinting on it right now. Hopefully, this Wednesday, I’ll be cleared to play, so I should be back on the field next Friday night.”

Hardman also has three more campus visits scheduled. He’ll head to Georgia for the Auburn game, Tennessee for the Missouri game and Clemson for the South Carolina game.

When he gets back to Clemson next month, Hardman will get another chance to see the Tigers’ pre-game ritual, which turned out to be the highlight of Saturday’s visit.

“The Hill, watching the players come down The Hill…it was crazy seeing that, that’s one thing that stood out to me, watching them come down The Hill,” Hardman said.