Jay Schell’s recruitment has taken a late turn, and it could make Clemson and Oklahoma work a little harder.
The four-star linebacker from Rabun Gap, Ga., had already been trending toward a decision between the school his father attended and the program Brent Venables now runs. Then Michigan jumped into the picture with an impromptu visit to Ann Arbor last weekend, giving Schell one more stop to weigh before he makes his call.
“It ended up working out at the last minute that I could go and I figured it was best to know all Michigan had to offer before I made my final decision,” Schell said on his Week 1 visit to Michigan.
That trip came just ahead of scheduled September visits to Clemson and Oklahoma, and Schell said he feels close to a choice.
“I feel like I am getting somewhat close to a decision, and I have felt that for a little bit of time,” Schell told The Clemson Insider. “Really, I just feel like I am an early guy.
Lead the class, and kind of just focus on ball. The biggest thing for me is just getting better every day and winning football games with my guys.
In order to do that, my attention needs to be on that.”
Clemson and Oklahoma still appear to be the main contenders. Schell’s primary recruiters are Ben Boulware on the Tigers’ side and Nate Dreiling for the Sooners. Alex Whittingham was the one who got Schell to make the Michigan trip to watch his father Kyle Whittingham make his Wolverines debut in The Big House.
The late addition of Michigan doesn’t automatically change the shape of the race, but it does add another layer for Clemson and Oklahoma to navigate. Schell is rated by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 17 player from Georgia, the No. 8 linebacker in the country, and the No. 142 overall prospect in the 2028 cycle. He holds 47 offers, but the focus has stayed on Clemson and Oklahoma.
Venables’ track record with linebackers keeps Oklahoma very much in the mix, and Schell’s ties to Clemson give the Tigers a real shot too. With his decision expected in the next few weeks, Michigan’s last-minute push has made an already interesting recruitment even less predictable.
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