Matthews (N.C.) Weddington class of 2021 running back Will Shipley announced his commitment to Clemson today, picking the Tigers over the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame offered Shipley a scholarship last May, and running backs coach Lance Taylor and Co. made the 5-11, 200-pounder a major priority in the 2021 class. But Clemson offered a couple of months later, and they shot up to the top of his list.
Shipley visited Notre Dame last October for the Irish’s triumph against USC and described his experience as “crazy good” in South Bend. That would be the only time he spent at Notre Dame, though. He planned to make a return visit for March 20-22, which was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It came down to Clemson and Notre Dame for the four-star prospect, and although the Irish staff made a tremendous push in his recruitment, the allure of Clemson and staying closer to home put the Tigers over the top in his recruitment.
“Notre Dame did an absolutely incredible job,” Shipley told Rivals.com’s Adam Friedman in a story about his commitment. “Coach Taylor, Coach [Brian] Kelly, and Coach [Tommy] Rees, the push that they made really over the last month made it very, very close at one point. Looking back and putting this in God’s hands, he showed me what I needed to see. Clemson, in my mind, is no question the place that I need to be at.
“It was great to be connected with so many people and have so many great relationships in and around Notre Dame,” he added. “I would say that it added a little bit of pressure. When you ultimately make your decision and you're disappointing all of those relationships that you have created, it’s tough on you. It was definitely tough on me when I had to call the coaches and call the commits and let them know. I have created such good relationships with them and that made it tough on me. I loved all the relationships I created and I absolutely just cherish all of them.”
From here, Notre Dame will likely expand the 2021 running back board with more offers. Make sure to stay locked in to BlueandGold.com for the in-depth coverage.
Rivals ranks Shipley as the No. 2 recruit in North Carolina, and the top all-purpose back in and No. 36 overall prospect nationally.
He ran for 2,066 yards and 30 touchdowns, plus had 582 yards and eight scores as a receiver, to lead Weddington to back-to-back 3A North Carolina state championships.
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