SEABROOK – Jerry Hatcher served as the defensive coordinator at nearby Beaufort High School, before taking over as the head coach at Whale Branch.

At Beaufort, Hatcher coached former Clemson linebacker Justin Parker, as well as former South Carolina defensive ends Devin Taylor and Duane Chisholm.

“He’s right there with them, maybe above them,” Hatcher told TheClemsonInsider on Friday afternoon.

“But I’ve never had anyone like him, as thick and compact as he is. Those defensive tackles are so hard to find. I’m telling you, especially with him going in early, he’s got a chance.”

In May, Pinckney squated 465 pounds. On the bench press, he put up 375. His power clean max was 305.

“I think he’s going to play early. He’s got all the intangibles. He’s a smart kid. He’s a football kid. His GPA is off the charts. His weight room numbers are close to a lot of second-year starters in college,” Hatcher said. “I don’t think he’s going to be watching. I think he’s going to be on the field very quickly. Maybe not the first year, but maybe a redshirt freshman year, he’ll be starting.”

Now, Pinckney, Hatcher and the rest of the folks at Whale Branch can focus on the task at hand: Hilton Head in next week’s season opener.

“It’s a relief. I’m glad it’s over. It’s good timing, five days before our first game, so we can focus on our program,” Hatcher said. “Then, the insurance policy that kind of comes with committing, being committed if the injury occurs. He’s taken care of.”

Clemson edged out South Carolina, Georgia and Georgia Tech for a number of reasons. But Hatcher thinks their early involvement helped pushed the needle in the Tigers’ favor.

“They were on him from the get-go,” Hatcher said. “I don’t think they’ve done anything different from the other schools, but they recognized it right away. They saw it in the ninth grade and the jumped on it from the get-go.”