One of Clemson’s top offensive line targets, and one of the program’s priority targets in the 2021 class regardless of position, is Fairfax (Va.) Robinson tackle Tristan Leigh.

The Clemson Insider recently caught up with Leigh — a five-star prospect per the 247Sports Composite and a consensus top-30 national prospect according to the major recruiting services — to get the latest on his recruitment during the ongoing NCAA dead period that has been extended through at least Aug. 31 and has kept all on-campus recruiting shut down since mid-March.

“I’ve just been doing virtual visits and on the phone and watching film on Zoom and stuff like that,” Leigh said. “I’m pretty much chilling right now, just trying to see how it all pans out.”

Leigh (6-6, 285) named a few of the schools he has taken virtual visits to in lieu of actual in-person visits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I did the ones that I normally talk to, but I haven’t gotten the chance to visit,” he said. “So like Oklahoma, Florida, I did a virtual visit with UCF… Those are my virtual visits. I’ve been staying in touch with the normal schools I’ve been talking to.”

There are a handful of programs that Leigh has been in contact with most frequently among the many pursuing him.

“Clemson, LSU, Ohio State, Florida, Oklahoma, Alabama,” he listed. “Those are pretty much the main ones.”

As far as Clemson goes, Leigh communicates mostly with offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott.

“I’d say probably about once a week, and they just talk about that I’m a big priority in their class and I fit exactly what they’re trying to do there, stuff like that,” Leigh said. “But I’ve been building a relationship with him (Caldwell) and just getting to know him as a coach and what he has to offer.”

Leigh appreciates the straightforward manner in which he is being recruited by the Tigers.

“It’s pretty good,” he said of their relationship. “It’s pretty honest. Clemson, they don’t really have to do the fake recruiting thing where they tell you you’re the best thing in the world and stuff like that. They tell you how it is, like ‘you’re a good player and we feel like we could develop you into a great one and you could do big things here.’ So, that’s pretty much their message to me, and be a big part of their class.”

In May, Leigh narrowed down his list of around 40 offers by more than half when he named a top 15 of Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Maryland, Miami, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Southern Cal, UCF, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

It may not be long before Leigh makes another cut in his recruitment to further narrow his field of suitors.

“I might be doing it pretty soon, to be honest,” he said. “I want to see where this pans out with the official visits. That’s huge for me. But I might be doing it soon, I might not. I’ve just got to discuss with my family about it. But I’m trying to see how things pan out before I take any further steps.”

Ideally, Leigh would prefer to take official visits in the fall before he renders a decision. However, he knows there is a chance he will not be able to go on those visits depending on what happens with the coronavirus and dead period, so he is doing his due diligence as he evaluates his options and tries to put himself in position to make an informed decision in the event visits are not allowed.

“I would like to take my official visits first, but I mean, I understand that this is a unique time and I might not be able to have them,” he said. “If that’s the case, me and my family have been doing a lot to get as much information and make the most out of it as possible to be able to make that decision without the official visits. So, it’s definitely still possible I’d be able to come to a decision.”

Whenever Leigh decides it is time to sit down and pick a school, a few factors will figure prominently into his college choice.

“I’d say development, relationship with the positional coach and the relationship with the school and my family, and also the academics that are going to help me be more than just an athlete, a student-athlete as well,” he said. “So, those are my big things.”

Clemson remains a strong contender for Leigh’s commitment as the summer heats up.

“I think very highly of them,” he said. “Just what they’ve been able to do the last couple years, they’ve been very consistent. It’s something you don’t always see in college football, and they’re very consistent. They stand very high with me because there’s room for opportunity there as well because they have people who will be leaving in the draft and stuff like that. So, there’s going to be some open spots, and the class, they’re not really heavy on tackles in the ’21 or the ’20 class. So, that’s something I’ve noticed.”

Leigh is the No. 3 offensive tackle and No. 11 overall prospect in the 2021 class according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. ESPN (No. 23) and Rivals (No. 28) also consider Leigh a top-30 national recruit.

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