Family feel working on Oscar Delp as Tigers recruit top-ranked tight end

CLEMSON — The push to land the country’s top-ranked tight end continues for Clemson.

The battle for Georgia 4-star prospect Oscar Delp is likely to continue for the next few months, at least. The good news for the Tigers is that with the addition of Cade Klubnik to their 2022 recruiting class in early March, there’s another voice in the ears of the 6-foot-5, 220-pound West Forsyth High School star.

Much has been made about the budding relationship between Delp and 5-star Georgia commit Gunner Stockton, so for Clemson it’s key to have its future signal-caller locked up and recruiting on its behalf right now.

“I have been talking a lot with Klubnik lately,” Delp told ClemsonSports.com. “Every tight end and receiver needs a great quarterback to get them the ball. Gunner and Cade are both great dudes, and I would love to play with either one of them.”

Having Klubnik on board helps, but recruiting is about coaches and players. Offensive coordinator Tony Elliott and passing-game coordinator Brandon Streeter have been carrying the water to this point for the Tigers and have built the bonds with the country’s top-ranked tight end that have begun to even turn Delp’s mother, a South Carolina alum, into a fan of Clemson. That’s why Dabo Swinney’s program continues to be near the top of the list for the No. 7-ranked player in Georgia.

“Just my relationship with the coaches themselves, I have a great relationship with Coach Elliot and Coach Streeter and my mom loves Clemson and the coaches,” Delp said.  “It’s just how much they truly care about developing me as a person and a football player. They let me know that Clemson is an elite program and is all about family, which is what really separates them from the bunch.”

Clemson is just one of the schools recruiting Delp the hardest right now. Despite family ties to South Carolina and living in Georgia, he’s feeling no pressure to head anywhere specific. It’s ultimately his decision — and he knows that.

Oscar Delp had 43 catches — including nine touchdowns — during his junior season. (Oscar Delp/Twitter)

“I’m really feeling all of them a lot,” he said. “I’d say Georgia, Florida, USC, Clemson and South Carolina are recruiting me the hardest. My family isn’t pressuring me at all to a certain school right now, which is what really matters to me.

“They are fully supportive of where I choose and just want the best for me.”

What’s best for Delp is still being sorted out. He’s sifting through a lot of information on staffs, depth charts and offenses. How each program he’s considering uses the tight end is obviously a key factor moving forward.

“That’s really what I’m trying to figure out now,” he said. “I’m doing tons of Zooms with schools right now, and they’re showing me their offenses and how they use the tight end.

“I think once I find that offense I really want to be a part of it will be a lot easier to make my decision. You know, how they utilize the position in general. How much they throw to the tight end and how they use the tight in different situations and plays.”

Of course, making college visits at some point is also going to play a major role in how Delp chooses a school. Like every other prospect in America, he’s eager for the dead period to end so he can pinpoint his future. He is not interested in doing any self-guided trips.

“Right now we plan on waiting until June,” he said. “I don’t have an exact date yet for when I want to decide. It’ll probably be sometime after the summer after I can get out and visit schools. Everyone is counting down the days until the dead period ends.”

Whenever that happens, the real fight for Clemson to land a commitment from Oscar Delp begins.

Jeremy Birmingham is a guest reporter for ClemsonSports.com. You can find more of his work covering Ohio State football and recruiting on www.lettermenrow.com