Clemson Adds Will Shipley, #2 Running Back In Class of 2021

Clemson University’s Football program is continuing to build for the future. Will Shipley is currently ranked 22 and as the second-best running back in the Class of 2021 ESPN 300 has committed to the Tigers on Tuesday. 

Shipley had his choice of schools but ultimately picked Clemson over Stanford, Notre Dame, North Carolina and North Carolina State. 

Shipley said Clemson provides the best opportunity for the North Carolina native to play in front of his family and friends from home. “I know for me, it’s a place I can go where the people from my town, the people that have helped me get to where I am today, where they can come watch me,” Shipley told SI. “They can come see me do my thing and put on for my people.”

Shipley also noted that going to Clemson gives him the best opportunity to win a National Championship. “It gives me an opportunity to win national championships and create relationships with guys that are very similar to me, you know that will carry on through the rest of my life,” he said. The Tigers have appeared in the College Football Playoff every year since 2015, winning the National Championship in 2016 and 2018, and making it to the title game in 2015 and 2019. 

Last season for Weddington High School in Matthews, North Carolina, Shipley ran for over 2000 yards, had another 580 receiving yards, and scored 42 total touchdowns.

Shipley credits his skill on the football field to be a dual-sport athlete, also playing lacrosse. He says that one area where he plays on the lacrosse field that translates to the football field is his cutting ability, noting “It’s helped me so much with my horizontal cutting, acceleration, quickness, and change of speed. Being a multi-sport athlete, I think is the best thing that I probably ever did, in terms of getting me ready for college football and you know, being the most ready as early as I can.”

Now that this whole recruiting process is over, Shipley looks forward to taking some time for himself and spending time with his family.