Auburn takes lead for Rivals250 WR
Rivals250 wide receiver Darrius Clemons made the 2,600-mile trip from Portland, Ore., to the campus of Auburn University over the weekend for an official visit.
Clemons said the trip was worth it — and even better than expected.
“I loved it,” Clemons said. “It was a great trip. It was 1,000% better than I expected. It wowed me, exceeded my expectations by a mile.”
Clemons arrived in Auburn late Thursday night and stayed until early Sunday morning.
“I loved the bond I made with the players,” Clemons said. “I’m coming from the Pacific Northwest and most of the players are from Atlanta and Alabama. I hung out with Smoke Monday and Jaylin Simpson and those guys were super cool and super nice to me.”
Clemons also spent a lot of time with first-year wide receivers coach Cornelius Williams.
“I was with him the entire time,” Clemons said. “He’s a super great guy. Of all the people recruiting me, he’s definitely up there with the guys I have the best relationship with.”
Clemons was impressed with Williams, Bryan Harsin, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and even defensive line coach Nick Eason.
“Coach Eason, that’s my guy,” Clemons said. “The whole staff, they recruit the hell out of people. They know what to do when it comes to recruiting. They know how to make Auburn look like a very enticing place.”
So much so that Clemons left with Auburn at the top of his list.
“They are in the lead right now, but take that with a grain of salt,” Clemons said. “That’s my first official visit, so of course I’m going to be wowed. I’m sure I’ll feel the same way about the rest of my visits, but I loved my visit to Auburn and couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
“I love the culture. They have good quarterbacks and a good defense, but they don’t have a lot of depth at wide receivers. I think that provides someone like me a great opportunity.”
Clemons, who is scheduled to be an early enrollee, already is planning to return to Auburn in the fall.
“I’m looking into buying tickets to come back for a game,” Clemons said. “It will either be the Iron Bowl or the UGA game.”
Clemons will visit Southern California next weekend and Penn State June 25-27. He doesn’t have any other visits set at this time.
“I’m not in a rush,” Clemons said. “I’m going to take my time and make the right decision. I’m not going to commit and de-commit.”
Rivals ranks Clemons, who is 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, the No. 14 wide receiver in the 2022 class and No. 137 in the Rivals250.
