CLEMSON — RJ Cruz made his first-ever visit to Clemson over the weekend, and even though the Tigers lost, it was a visit that stood out.

The 2028 defensive tackle (McDonogh, MD) made the trek down from Maryland, and the environment down south really hit the mark.

“I thought Clemson was an amazing place,” Cruz told The Clemson Insider. “Southern hospitality is very different from the North. There were only about 60 recruits, so it was very selective. They give you pretty good treatment. I loved it down there.”

Everything Cruz experienced while on campus resonated, leaving a lasting impression.

“The facilities were amazing,” he said. “The coaches were really one-on-one. I had a lot of one-on-one conversations. I was pretty shocked it was so selective compared to a lot of places. That is what stood out to me the most.”

Clemson’s PAW Journey program is what really hit home, with Cruz noting he’s not seen anything like that at other schools.

“No other school really has it,” Cruz added. “It is more than football. It really showed me there are more opportunities than just football. That really impressed me.”

The 6-foot-3, 270-pound recruit also got a lot of face time with defensive tackles coach Nick Eason.

“He is a really good coach, he is really confident,” Cruz said. “He produces some pretty good D-tackles. I mean, Peter Woods, I study his film a lot and I can see how he became that good.”

While the Tigers are not having the kind of season most envisioned, even with the team sitting at 3-4, Cruz still believes in Dabo Swinney’s ability to right the ship.

“I love Dabo Swinney,” Cruz said. “He is a great coach. He has won two national titles. I feel like it is just a down year. Some schools have down years. I feel like they will turn it around. And Clemson produces D-linemen almost every single year. Great defensive linemen.”

While Rivals ranks Cruz as a three-star in the early ratings, the service ranks him No. 254 overall and among the Top 20 defensive linemen in the class. Once we are further into the next recruiting cycle, that kind of ranking would have Cruz as a four-star.

His offer sheet speaks more about how he is regarded by college coaches. He already holds offers from Florida State, Georgia Tech, Penn State, Tennessee and Maryland, among others.

Both Penn State and Maryland got game day visits before his trip to Clemson, and he still has plans to see Tennessee and Ohio State before the season’s end.

While the Tigers won’t even start offering players in his class until next summer, Cruz said he respects the process Swinney has in place.

“Honestly, it is Clemson,” Cruz said. “If another school told me that, that they wouldn’t offer me until next year, I would kind of take that as a negative. But the way Clemson showed up, the way the coaches were, it’s not a negative for me. It is a positive. You see a lot of schools handing out offers to everyone. Tons of ’28s with a lot of offers. You don’t see it with Clemson, which makes it hold great value. If they offer you, it is committable. I like it.”

When Clemson does start handing out those offers, it is one Cruz covets, seeing as he is already extremely high on Swinney’s Tigers.

“That would mean a lot to me,” Cruz said. “Right now, Clemson is definitely top three on my board. If they offered me, I would take that into huge consideration.”

Photo courtesy of RJ Cruz on X (formerly known as Twitter)