Fast-rising linebacker Elijah Chaffin made his return to Clemson for the 9th-ranked Tigers’ 48-31 victory over Virginia last Saturday.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound sophomore (Davie, N.C.) is no stranger to Clemson, having visited for a game last season and then returning for the spring game back in the spring.
Through seven games this season, Chaffin has 98 tackles, tops in the state of North Carolina. Just as impressive is the fact that he led not only his team, but his entire region in the same category last year as a freshman. As an eighth grader, he was the offensive MVP of the Carolina Bowl.
It’s those kind of accomplishments that have caught the eyes of the coaching staff at Clemson, and while it is still extremely early in the process, Chaffin has just as much interest in the Tigers. It’s the culture inside of Dabo Swinney’s program that keeps drawing the young linebacker back.
“Clemson’s atmosphere is unmatched,” Chaffin told The Clemson Insider. “They have great fans. A great fan base. Another thing that stood out to me was the family atmosphere. From from the time you get out of your car and get on the bus to the time you leave. I mean, you feel like you belong there the entire time and that that means a lot. I know it means a lot for other recruits too.”
On top of that, after watching players like Barrett Carter, Wade Woodaz and Sammy Brown on Saturday, Chaffin could see himself excelling in Wes Goodwin’s defense.
“I think I’m a great fit,” he said. “Seeing Woodaz and Sammy Brown, those are great linebackers. I think I can fit in well with that system that they have in place.”
Clemson, Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Liberty are the schools Chaffin said are recruiting him hardest at this point. However, there are many more already showing early interest, including Auburn and Alabama.
Garnering that kind of attention this early in the process could present some challenges for many high school kids and, at times, it does for Chaffin. However, when it gets tough, he leans on his faith and his parents, who are right there by his side.
“I mean, it is a lot, but I’m a faith-based person,” Chaffin said. “With Jesus, nothing’s too much. Whenever it might seem like a lot, He’s always there. And my family’s always there. I can always rely on my mom and dad if there is something wrong, or it’s too much. I can always rely on them to help me.”
Along with Clemson, East Carolina, Liberty, NC State and North Carolina have each gotten game day visits this season. Chaffin will head to App State this weekend and still plans to get to Wake Forest and Duke before the end of the season. He’s also visited Ole Miss, Tennessee, Penn State and Virginia Tech in the past.
As he goes through these early rounds of visits, Chaffin is looking for a number of things, including laying the foundation for strong relationships with some of the coaching staffs and looking for a school that makes him feel at home.
“Just exposure really,” he said. “Coaches getting to know me, me getting know the coaches. Really, it’s just to see where I belong. There’s a lot of schools, there’s a lot of options. In the beginning, you try to find those schools that you know whenever no one’s around, whenever you know it’s not game day, every day, so when no one’s around, just where I can feel like I’m at home at all times.”
The Tigers won’t start offering players in the 2027 class until next summer. While some recruits aren’t a fan of waiting that long, Chaffin respects the process that Clemson has in place.
“I can understand it. Clemson likes to wait,” Chaffin said. “They like to get to know that player. Because they don’t take any transfers, so they like to know their players. I wouldn’t say it necessarily hurts Clemson or hurts me, but Clemson does have that tight system where they only rely on recruits, and that’s kind of crazy but no other school does that.”
When the time comes, though, that is absolutely a phone call Chaffin would love to get and an offer from the Tigers would make Swinney’s program a legitimate contender.
“I’d be absolutely honored,” Chaffin added. “I can tell you with certainty that would be one of my top schools. I can trust those guys down there. I know the family atmosphere, the faith atmosphere at Clemson, it will definitely be up there for me.”
Photo courtesy of Elijah Chaffin on X (formerly known as X)
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