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By Phil Kornblut
For the third straight day this week, Clemson has picked up a public football verbal commitment. Wednesday’s addition was DT Victor Burley (6-4 278) of Warner Robins, GA. He chose the Tigers over Tennessee and Georgia. He has visited Clemson unofficially and he made official visits to Tennessee and Michigan State. He cancelled a planned official visit to Georgia for last weekend.
“The Clemson structure they have there is very similar to what we have here at Warner Robins,” Burley said in making his announcement on CBSSports HQ. “Just the focus on the player and the person development there drew me in too.”
Burley added that Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has set the bar high for him for when he arrives there.
“He was just saying that you can play off the bat when you get here and be dominant and help us win games,” Burley said. “I just bought into it. You can expect a hard-working player, versatile, physical and a team player, too. Whatever the team needs me to do I’ll do it.”
New Clemson defensive tackles coach Nick Eason is related to Burley, and now the two will get to work together, assuming the Tigers deploy him at defensive tackle.
“They’re really saying I’m an interior player,” Burley said recently. “Coach (Lemanski) Hall will make some jokes saying they could use me on the outside, too. But they say I fit the scheme interior-wise. They’ve been saying that I’m a versatile player and can play anywhere across the front.”
Burley will take his official visit to Clemson during the football season. From his prior visit, he knew he had found the place he wanted to be.
“There’s just something different about Clemson,” Burley said. “Can’t really put my thumbs on it, but there’s just something different about Clemson. From when I got there and when I left, they just treated me like I was family already.”
Last season Burley totaled 54 tackles with 14 tackles for loss and 5 sacks. He gives the Tigers 11 commitments for the class. A 12th could fall Saturday as LB Dee Crayton has set 2:00 that day for his announcement. He took his official visit to Clemson on June 3rd and returned for an unofficial visit last weekend.
