Clemson may have done plenty to impress Jay Schell last weekend, but the Tigers still might be staring at a tough finish in this race.
The 4-star linebacker has already seen his father’s alma mater beat Georgia Southern in Week 2, and this week he made the trip to Norman to watch Oklahoma face New Mexico. That visit is set to be the last of Schell’s three in-game trips before he makes his choice. It’s still being treated as a two-team battle, but Clemson appears to be on the outside looking in.
On Friday afternoon, On3/Rivals recruiting expert Sam Spiegelman projected Schell to land with Oklahoma, giving that call 60-percent confidence. Spiegelman has been right on 85 percent of his recruiting predictions, even with a few recent misses. If either Chad Simmons or Steve Wiltfong were to join that prediction, it would only add to the momentum behind the Sooners.
Schell has long leaned slightly toward Oklahoma, even with Clemson in the mix. A big reason is the chance to play linebacker for Brent Venables in Norman.
Venables, Clemson’s former defensive coordinator, led Oklahoma to the College Football Playoff with an elite defense just a year ago. The Sooners’ offense may not be drawing many compliments, but Schell does not seem worried about that side of the ball.
The bigger concern for Clemson is what this could mean for the rest of the 2028 class. If Schell goes to Oklahoma, it would take some of the shine off what looked like a strong weekend for the Tigers on the recruiting front. Right now, Clemson’s lone commitment in the class is four-star quarterback Trace Hawkins, and missing on a player like Schell would be a rough blow.
There’s also the possibility that Schell becomes something of a defining linebacker target for Clemson, much like Sammy Brown. He was given a rare look inside Clemson’s locker room before the game, where he saw the Tigers’ star linebacker fire up the team in a pregame moment normally reserved for players and commits. With his decision expected soon, Clemson fans can only hope Jason Eck’s Lobos pull off a shock against Venables and Oklahoma.
The matchup has been framed as Dabo Swinney against Venables, but in the end, this is Schell’s call. Both programs have a strong track record with linebackers.
Tom Allen is a respected defensive mind, but Venables remains one of the best linebackers coaches in the sport. Swinney’s background as a former receivers coach has always mattered in a recruitment like this.
For now, Clemson supporters should brace for the possibility that Schell commits to Oklahoma before the end of the month, maybe even before this time next week. That said, a commitment is not the final word.
National Signing Day is when a recruit makes it official with a national letter of intent. Until then, there’s still time for the story to change, and Clemson is unlikely to stop pushing even if Schell does verbally choose the Sooners.
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