Dennis Smith was having a conversation with Jeff Scott during his junior day visit to Clemson on Saturday when the wide receivers coach casually extended a long-awaited offer to the 2018 wide receiver from Gaffney, S.C.

“He was talking about the situation and why it took me so long in the process (to get the offer), and he just kind of slid it in,” Smith told The Clemson Insider.

Getting an offer from the defending national champions meant a lot to the local standout.

“That’s a lot to take in, the fact they’re here, they’re at home right in my back yard and they just won a national championship,” Smith said, “and that I have the opportunity to be a part of that is something great.”

Smith has camped at Clemson a couple of times and visited for games on multiple occasions. He was glad to be on campus again over the weekend.

“It was lovely. It felt great just being there,” he said. “When they say there’s a different feel about Clemson, there really is a different feel about Clemson.”

He cited the culture and coaching staff as reasons he likes Clemson.

“There isn’t any red flags about them,” Smith said. “I enjoy the people there, the atmosphere and the way they play ball. The culture is really nice. Great coaches.”

Smith, who caught 72 balls for 1,180 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior, also has offers from South Carolina, Duke, Indiana and Northwestern among others.

Scott has recruited and evaluated him since the beginning of his high school career.

“He likes my ball skills,” Smith said. “I’ve been talking to him since I was in ninth grade, so I would say we’ve got a pretty strong relationship.”

Smith didn’t name Clemson a clear-cut leader in his recruitment, but said the Tigers “stand ahead” right now.

“They’re the first people who I put myself out in front of since about the ninth grade, and I’ve been talking to them since then, so they stand ahead,” he said. “I’m not saying as far as No. 1, but I have a strong standpoint with them. I can see myself playing for them in the fact that they showed me they were interested in the very beginning.”

Smith doesn’t have a set decision date, but could commit before the start of his senior season. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder visited Duke and South Carolina in February. He returned to Duke today and plans to visit North Carolina later this month and Virginia Tech in April before returning for Clemson’s spring game.