ACC media days have come and gone and the dog days of summer are upon us. Now, we’re just a couple of days from the start of preseason camp.

TheClemsonInsider continues its look back at the recruitment of several of Clemson’s returning players. Included in this Back When feature are more of the offensive and defensive linemen.

Back When: Rogers, McCulllough, Lawson, Watkins, Dodd

DE Dane Rogers, Shelby, N.C. – RS Sophomore
Clemson offered Rogers in February of his junior year at Crest when Dan Brooks called in the news to former head coach Mark Barnes. UNC, N.C. State and Tennessee already had offers out to the three-star prospect.

In June, Clemson picked up his commitment.

“My coach told me that Clemson is only signing three defensive ends. That slipped my mind. I knew that they already had two. Knowing deep down that I wanted to be the third one, I didn’t want that to slip away from me at the last minute. I might as well go ahead. What the heck?”

At the time, the 2013 Clemson class had commitments from Robert Nkemdiche and Shaq Lawson. The Tigers signed Rogers and Lawson.

TE Jay Jay McCullough, Fort Mill – RS Junior

A day before visiting for Clemson’s March Junior Day in 2011, McCullough picked up an offer from Miami of Ohio. Dabo Swinney delivered the Tigers’ offer to McCullough shortly after his arrival for Junior Day.

McCullough committed in August while visiting the school with his mother.

“I felt like they were a family. I felt real comfortable at Clemson. I feel like I fit the offense 100 percent. I just feel the most comfortable. I like the people around me. I feel like it would be best for me.”

Before his pledge to the Tigers, South Carolina, N.C. State, Miami and Kentucky also offered.

DE Shaq Lawson, Central – Junior

Lawson was also offered by Clemson at the 2011 March Junior Day. A day later, he committed to the Tigers, extending the cross-town pipeline from Daniel.

Tennessee, Maryland and East Carolina offered before Clemson.

His arrival to the Clemson program was delayed by a post-grad season at Hargrave Military academy. Originally scheduled to arrive with the 2012 signing class, Lawson instead joined the 2013 haul.

DT Carlos Watkins, Mooresboro, N.C. – RS Junior

Clemson, Florida, Alabama and South Carolina were the final four players for Watkins, who was a four-star recruit out of Chase High School in Forest City. And there were plenty of other options.

The battle boiled down to Clemson and Florida. Along with his genuine interest in the school, Watkins’ friend, Crest defensive end Jonathan Bullard, would eventually commit to the Gators. But Watkins opted to go with Clemson.

The decision went public on a Friday night, after one his games in mid-October of 2011. Watkins drove a Clemson golf cart through a banner, like the one his team ran through before the game.

While sitting in Dabo Swinney’s office before the Auburn game that season, Watkins expressed the desire to commit to Clemson. The decision finalized until after one last trip to Florida.

Before breaking through the banner on the Clemson golf cart, Watkins told Brooks he was coming to Clemson.

“I’m family down there already. That’s pretty much it. I want to go where my parents liked. Pretty much, my whole family liked it.”

DE Kevin Dodd, Taylors – RS Junior

During his senior year at Greer-Riverside (2010), Dodd committed to Clemson. He pulled the trigger in Swinney’s office before Clemson beat Georgia Tech, 27-13.

“After the Tiger Walk, I went into Dabo’s office and did it. He asked me if I’m sure that I wanted to go there, and I said I’m 100 percent sure. He said we’re going to make this plan to make things work—just stick to the plan, and stay 100 percent. I said, ‘Yeah. I’m all in.'”

Dodd spent the 2011 season at Hargrave Military Academy, before arriving to Clemson in January of 2012.