CLEMSON — When people say the Clemson football program is one big family, the proof is in the pudding.

The culture inside the program is just different. Dabo Swinney consistently produces some of the best retention rates in the country year after year, because players don’t want to leave. The head coach also has well over a dozen former players on his staff currently, meaning the connections players make while playing for the school last a lifetime.

For Harrison Luke (N. Oconee, Bogart, GA), he’s already experienced that culture firsthand. The 2027 safety is the son of offensive line coach Matt Luke. While he doesn’t currently reside in Clemson, he has been on campus enough to know exactly what Swinney’s program stands for.

“It is just different,” Luke said. “It is a special place. Just how they do things. It is just different, that is how I would describe it.”

Now, Luke has the opportunity to suit up and play for the Tigers after Swinney handed him his first Power-4 offer last Sunday.

“Coach Swinney FaceTimed me,” Luke said. “It was one of the coolest moments of my life. It was awesome. That is something you dream about, for him to call you on FaceTime. It was a call I won’t forget.”

While Luke didn’t know whether or not an offer might really come his way, Swinney had been dropping hints for the past year. Ever since he worked out at camp last summer, turning the heads of several coaches on the staff.

“Last year, I went and camped, and coach Swinney had never seen me before,” Luke said. “I guess I had a pretty good camp. I think he expected me to be an offensive lineman. But I guess I was able to impress him. From that point on, he dropped hints and stuff about June 1 and when they were going to start offering ’27s.”

While Luke is more than grateful for the faith Swinney has in him, he is determined to keep grinding.

“Just the belief he has in me,” Luke said. “I don’t want to let him down. Got to keep working and keep improving.”

With Luke now having his first Power-4 offer under his belt, he’s hoping that might lead to more opportunities.

That’s why he once again worked out at camp on Tuesday. He is determined to prove he earned his offer, and against some of the best.

“I would like to show that I earned this and it’s not because of just my dad,” Luke said. “That’s the biggest thing. I want to show people that I can really play, and that I’m one of the best safeties in the class of 2027.”

Luke is also a proven winner. His high school team ran the table last season, winning a 4A state title in Georgia. However, seeing as he is just finishing up his sophomore year, he’s in no rush to make any decisions about his future.

For now, he wants to enjoy the process and remain patient, seeing what other doors might open. It might be another year or so before he decides on a college choice. At the same time, he readily admits, playing at Clemson with his dad surely is fun to think about. Again, it’s all about the family.

“I haven’t (thought much about it). Not really. Now, when you kind of start to talk about it, you kind of do,” Luke said. “As you watch him in practice, and how animated he is and how much energy he brings, it’d be really cool to do that with him.”