Junior DB Ethan Nation 'loved' Georgia-Clemson atmosphere

Roswell, Ga., junior cornerback Ethan Nation was one of the 70,000-plus in attendance on Saturday when Georgia bested Clemson 10-3.

Nation, a 6-foot, 170-pound cornerback, has offers from both Georgia and Clemson. When offered by Clemson on June 5, Nation tweeted the offer from the Tigers came from one of his “dream” schools. Throughout the summer, Nation played in Georgia gloves.

The Bulldogs were one of the first Power 5 programs to offer Nation after he led the state in interceptions in 2022. Both schools are high on Nation’s priority list.

Sitting with both fan bases, Nation came away with strong feelings about the support systems of both schools.

“I loved the atmosphere and the die-hard fans and how far they traveled, the fans are just crazy,” Nation said. “I loved it.”

“No matter what happened, even if it was a bad play, most of the fans weren’t hanging their heads or anything like that. Their energy was crazy. From kickoff, halftime, and during intermission, the fans were into it.”

Ethan Nation enjoys big stage

The matchup was featured on ESPN’s College Gameday. It was billed as one of the premier matchups of the season on opening weekend. Nation paid attention to the stage the two premier programs were on. Playing on a big stage has been a dream for the young defensive back.

“That means a lot because you want to be able to showcase your talents on national television and in front of 70,000 or 60,000 people,” Nation said. “Me being able to see that and seeing what both programs can do for you means a lot.”

Nation was no different than many of the defensive recruits in attendance on Saturday. The dominant defenses caught his attention. The front seven of both Clemson and Georgia made things much easier for their defensive backs.

The only touchdown was an interception by Christopher Smith that was returned 74-yards.

“It puts them pretty high taking into account that both teams have a great defensive scheme and that both teams have a great defensive line, which makes things easier for the cornerbacks,” Nation said.