By Hale McGranahan.

Clelin Ferrell is more than ready to get back on the football field.

First, he’s got to graduate from Benedictine College Preparatory in Richmond, Virginia on Friday. Then, in three weeks, he’ll start class at Clemson.

“Health-wise, I’m doing very well,” Ferrell said, during a recent interview with TheClemsonInsider.

The four-star defensive end tore his ACL during a scrimmage before the start of his senior season.

“I’m nine months out of surgery, June 5 makes nine months, actually. I’ve been doing all my football activities for the past three months since I got cleared to do all my activities. I’ve been doing all my things,” he said. “My knee feels fine. I’m feeling good, athletically. Just overall confidence in myself, mentally, I’m doing good, too. I’m doing pretty well.”

The second session of Clemson summer school starts on June 24.

“My first year, I want to come in and work, show my teammates and coaches that I’m a hard-worker and just show them I’m about the team,” Ferrell said. “I don’t want them to see me as some guy that thinks everything should be given to me. I want them to know I’m going to work for everything that I want and I’m given.”

The Under Armour All-American wants to make a good first-impression on his new teammates.

“I want them to know I’m all about the team and just winning every game and doing all the things that we should do as a team,” Ferrell said. “As a freshman, I don’t want them to think I’m a slacker or something like that.

“I’m going to come in and compete with all the other guys and just compete like I’ve been there. I’m not going to hold anything back. I just want to come in and show that I’m focused and will help the team as much as I can.”

With the departures of Vic Beasley, Corey Crawford and Tavaris Barnes to the NFL and Ebenezer Ogundeko’s boot from the team, the competition for playing time at defensive end is relatively wide-open.

But Ferrell won’t arrive with any preconceived notion about his playing time in 2015.

“I just want to show that I can come in and be ready to compete for that playing time, because I don’t want it to be given to me,” he said. “I want to come in and compete, show that I’ve earned that right to play early as a freshman.”

Defensive ends coach Marion Hobby told Ferrell that he’s got an opportunity to be a versatile piece for the Clemson defense.

“I’ll definitely have my hand in the ground most of the time, because that’s my natural spot,” Ferrell said. “But they definitely want to see me playing linebacker some, playing in a 3-4 scheme sometimes, coverage, dropping into the flats and things like that. I’ll have that type of role.”