This summer, Jay Schell camped at Clemson for the first time since he was in the eighth grade. He was hoping to work out last summer, but an injury prevented him from attending.

The 2028 linebacker, out of Raburn Gap (GA), is already starting to garner plenty of Power-4 interest, even though he is only entering the tenth grade. Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech are just a few of the offers he’s already picked up.

While Clemson won’t start officially offering recruits in his class until next summer, Schell was able to get some good work in with new defensive coordinator Tom Allen and linebackers coach Ben Boulware watching on.

“It was a little different working with them,” Schell told The Clemson Insider. “I really did like working with Coach Allen and Coach Boulware and their style of coaching. It was a really good camp. I got a lot of really good work in. But the big difference was in who I am as a player. They put me in a group with the upcoming seniors, so the competition was a little different there. Plus, I am more confident in myself, and being recruited, I felt a little more like a priority.”

Although it was mostly Boulware that Schell worked with and the fast-rising linebacker came away impressed with the Tigers’ new linebackers coach.

“I really love the intensity he brings,” Schell added. “I could tell that just from camp. He is a really good coach. I got to talk to him, and it is cool how he played at Clemson and the value he has there. He really does have a lot of ties with the school. I could tell how much he cares about it and just how good of a coach he is.”

However, Schell isn’t just another recruit. He has a rather unique connection to the program, seeing as his father, Matt Schell, was a quarterback on the team during the Tommy Bowden years, and he has grown up with an appreciation for how Clemson now handles the recruiting process under the leadership of Dabo Swinney.

“It definitely is different than some schools, but I do respect it,” Schell said. “I know Coach Swinney, he likes to build relationships. The guys he offers can commit on the spot and play there. And I respect that. Being a sophomore and going into my junior year, that is plenty of time to start building a relationship. And I am already doing that now, but that is still two years. They do start a little later than some schools, and that is fine. As long as I am able to talk with them, then it is fine.”

He also has gotten an up-close look at the culture inside the program.

“They really put out that family culture, and that really is what it is,” Schell said. “Being there, you get the feel of a family. With the player, the coaches, it is one of the top football schools in the country.

And knowing all of that, landing an offer from the Tigers would literally be a dream come true.

“Clemson is in my top schools,” Schell said. “My dad played at Clemson. From 1998-2001. So, Clemson has always been one of my dream schools. Coming up, going to all the Clemson games, that would mean a lot.”

Being that he is just about to begin his sophomore campaign, Schell is still extremely early in the process, and for now, he is planning to take his time and enjoy it. At the same time, having an opportunity to play on the same field as his father would be pretty special.

“Almost full circle,” Schell said. “I have been working out with my dad since seventh grade. He has always helped me know what it takes to play at that level. Always being around Clemson football, having a chance to play there would definitely mean a lot.”