Georgia receiver says Clemson is in a league of its own after visit

Vaka poses in Clemson's wide receiver room.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Thu Apr 21 15:00:06 GMT-04:00 2022

One Georgia receiver says that Clemson is in a league of its own.

Kyle Vaka is a 2024 wide receiver prospect out of Alpharetta (GA) Johns Creek whose recruitment is starting to gain steam. He’s visited several schools this spring and was invited to the Clemson spring game by wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham.

Vaka said the visit was impressive.

“There's so much to talk about when it comes to Clemson. There are very impressive facilities, Mr. Jeff Davis and the PAW Journey, they got a two-time national championship head coach in Coach Swinney and their fan base is incredible,” Vaka said. “I've learned that through Twitter and everything else. And it's in a league of its own with all those attributes. And my sister's a student there, so I'd say we’ve started a legacy.”

He said he was surprised at how many fans showed up despite the cold temperatures.

“Yeah, that was one of the things that stood out to me right away was just the loyalty that those fans have,” Vaka said. “It was a bitter day, was cold and watching the Tiger Walk and there were still so many of their fans just there to support the team and their players and the game. It's very impressive and it just goes to show how loyal their fan base is.”

Vaka said standing on a college sideline during pregame stood out.

“It's definitely surreal, I would say. Watching that - I'm only a sophomore, so some of those guys that I've been following when they were in high school and now, they're playing in college and I'm watching them warm up 10 yards away from me and it's cool to watch,” he said. “And I'm always learning. I'm always watching them and seeing what I can do that they're doing and even in warm-up. So it was definitely a learning experience. And it was a great experience.”

Grisham made sure to make Vaka feel welcome.

“I got to spend a lot of time with Coach Grisham and Coach (Kaleb) Nobles on the offensive staff,” Vaka said. “Coach Nobles, he's an offensive analyst with the quarterbacks and receivers. But I got to spend a lot of time with them. They're super genuine. We had a great conversation and it was a really good time.

“Coach Grisham, he's a super genuine guy. It was a conversation with him and my family. And we were talking not only football but just life, talking about his kids. And he was telling us what he did the past weekend with his family. So, from football to life, he's just a really genuine guy. And I enjoyed our conversation.”

Vaka is looking forward to a big summer as his recruitment heats up.

“This summer, I definitely plan on camping at Clemson. Vanderbilt I'll get to, Furman and probably South Carolina,” he said. “This summer's huge for me. And I'm definitely a grinder. I'm a student of the game and I'm someone that's committed to constant growth. And that's what I've been doing this off season is just constantly progressing and growing in my game, I've worked very hard and I know that's going to pay off in the summer and I'm going to be able to perform at a high level.”