It was never that close between Texas, Clemson for standout defensive back Corian Gipson |
Recruiting pundits across the nation, both local and national writers, characterized the race for the services of
Corian Gipson as a fight between the home state Texas Longhorns and Clemson. Even in the final days, people on both sides reported what they heard and claimed it was down to the wire.
It was never that close. Gipson simply wanted to make sure he was making the right decision and take his recruiting visits. Saturday, he made it official when he chose the Tigers during a commitment ceremony at his school. Gipson, out of Lancaster (TX), is ranked as the No. 12 cornerback in the country and the No. 26 overall prospect in Texas, according to 247Sports. Gipson burst onto the scene after his sophomore year as he picked up 40 offers. Gipson chose Clemson over offers from Texas, Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon, LSU, Miami, Michigan and Oklahoma. Why Clemson? “Because I felt the family vibe with Clemson,” Gipson told TigerNet. “It is very family-oriented. There is also a lot of stability with the coaches. Plus, they are very big on life after football with the PAW Journey.” Gipson has known Clemson was his choice since his first visit. “I have known for sure that Clemson was it for a long time,” he said. “My first visit there I fell in love with it. With Clemson, if you are committed, you can’t take any other visits. So I wanted to experience my high school recruitment and see other places and finish it out. But I knew Clemson was it.” Many wondered if Gipson was torn, trying to decide between the local favorite in the Longhorns or heading out of state to play at Clemson. He admits he felt the heat to stay home. “There was a lot of pressure. I don’t listen to a lot of that,” he said. “I know where I want to be. As for the other schools, it was very good talking to all of these different head coaches getting advice from them. It’s been a long journey, and I got all the advice and info I needed, and I saw a lot of campuses. But it was Clemson and everybody else. Texas was my second school, but it was really just about Clemson for me.” Gipson lost his father to cancer in 2018 and has relied on family to help him navigate this process since then. That’s why Saturday’s ceremony was heavy on family. “That is who I am doing it for. I am trying to give everything back to them that they gave to me,” Gipson said. “It was good seeing everybody talk and share their opinions and things. They know what I have been through, and they have been there for me. They knew what it took for me to get here. Once my father passed, they all told me to keep going.” Gipson put his unique stamp on the ceremony by FaceTiming head coach Dabo Swinney. “He knew about it,” Gipson said. “I called him a week or two before my announcement and told him what I was going to do, so he knew about it. I just wanted to do something that nobody else has done.” "It's Clemson isn't it? Let's go! That's what I'm talking about man!"
Dabo Swinney was PUMPED when 4⭐️ CB Corian Gipson called to let him know he was committing to Clemson 🏈
(Via @dctf) pic.twitter.com/3G2ebouUT2
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