Top athlete with Palmetto State ties, surprised and shocked after Clemson offer
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Clemson offered arguably the top athlete in the 2025 football recruiting class on June 10. Four-star recruit Jordan Young (6'0, 170), regarded as the No. 1 athlete according to 247Sports and ON3 recruiting services, received an offer from the Tigers during his first visit to the campus.
"We were in one of the position meeting rooms and he [Mickey Conn] was showing me all the past safeties that he coached in the past five years, and how they compared to me and then he offered me a scholarship," recalled the Monroe High (NC) standout as he explained how and when he learned of the offer. "It was a surprise because it was right before we left and I wasn't thinking anything about an offer. It was exciting and shocking."
Before hosting Young, co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Mickey Conn traveled to Monroe High to inform Young of Clemson's interest and invited him to campus.
Young said he was initially scheduled to only attend camp until a timely call altered plans.
"It was camp first," he said. "And the day before I was coming out, they asked me to come a little earlier so they could show me around the campus."
Young's parents, Derek and Nikki Young, are both Palmetto State natives and competed athletically at prep rivals, Pleasant Hill and Choppee, respectively, before the schools merged to form Carvers Bay High in 2000. Derek's brothers, Jay, Ricky, Timmy, Tramain, Marvin, Steven, and his identical twin, Erick, are also former Pleasant Hill athletes, and cousin Byron Young, a linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams, was a standout at Carvers Bay.
Nikki accompanied Jordan on the trip to the Upstate while Derek (United States Army) was away for work.
"I've been there before but not in that capacity," she noted of the visit. "A beautiful campus, and looks like it has grown a lot. So that's big that it's not staying the same. Their facilities are really nice, top of the line."
Young has also traveled to Duke, N.C. State, Notre Dame, South Carolina, UNC, and Virginia Tech among his list of offers that includes Alabama, Arizona State, Charlotte, FSU, James Madison, Maryland, Ole Miss, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC, and Wake Forest as well.
It's early in the recruiting process for the family, and more offers and visits are in the future. But what was memorable from the Clemson visit?
"Everything was close, not far. I like the recovery area and high technology. I also like how they don't just focus on football - they focus on after football," said Young, an excellent student with a 3.9 GPA. "They care about, 'what if football doesn't work out for you and things of that nature.'"
"I like how the coach that was interested in Jordan was with us the entire time. [I've] never had that happen before," Nikki recalled from their time with Conn. "He took an interest in being there with us on the campus tour."
Young earned hierarchy status in the 2025 class with his outstanding play on both sides of the ball for Monroe in 2022. On offense, as a receiver, he had 52 receptions, a team-leading 1,010 receiving yards, and 12 touchdowns and defensively, from the safety position, he intercepted eight passes (returning one for a touchdown) and was credited with 41 tackles.
Moreover, the two-way player is a multi-sport athlete as well. When his football cleats are away, Young is lacing up sneakers on the basketball court and spikes for track and field. In late May, he finished third in the long jump (21.5 ft) and fourth in the triple jump (43-9.5 ft) at the NCHSAA 2A State Championships. Last fall, he led the basketball team in scoring (14.5 ppg), assists (3.9), and steals (2.5).
Young has a lot to mull over in the coming years. As of today, he loves playing football but what position will he play in college? Wide receiver or safety? He said he's not ready to make that decision just yet.
Clemson is recruiting him to play safety and related positions on the defense's back end.
So what's next for Young and Clemson?
"I do plan to come back to Clemson. They gave me a date for an official visit for next year. Clemson is very high on my list right now."
