Mutual Interest Between Clemson and Highly-Touted Specialist

One of the top specialists in the 2025 recruiting class spent some time on campus earlier in the week.

Alex Nocco, one of the top long snappers in the country, spent multiple days on campus getting more familiar with everything Dabo Swinney’s program has to offer.

“I thought it was great,” Nocco told The Clemson Insider. “Just the campus itself is definitely one of the prettiest campuses out there, along with their business school. That is what I want to major in is Agri-business, and their business school is phenomenal and the agriculture side as well.”

Nocco (Jesuit, Tampa) made his first visit to campus back in June for Dabo Swinney’s high school camp. His workout went so well that the coaches wanted him back at Clemson for a return trip.

He got to spend a lot of time talking to Swinney, as well as Will Gilchrist, the Director of Special Teams. Spending more time with the Tigers’ head coach only reinforced what Nocco already knew about Swinney.

“I thought he was great, he is definitely a legend and I see why he is,” Nocco said. “One of the main things that I look up to him for is that he used God in everything that he does. He pushes God, just as every Christian should, using his platform. That is definitely big for me and I know my family is big about that too.”

While the staff would like to add Nocco to the 2025 class, the expanded roster limits that are coming due to the House settlement are currently making things a little murky for specialists.

“They were both very positive when I talked with them, coach Swinney and coach Gilchrist, but they are still, like everybody else is, still trying to figure out this new 105 rule with the scholarships and everything,” Nocco added. “But they want to find a way for me to get up there. Specialists are definitely going to be the most impacted off of this.”

However, after this latest visit, Nocco knows he could potentially be a really good cultural fit.

“That’s one of the big things too that we talked about,” he said. “How the culture has got to be there, which he’s definitely created. It’s something I definitely want to be a part of.”

Along with Clemson, Georgia, USF and UCF have all shown interest after Nocco worked out at those camps this summer. USF has offered him a spot as a PWO, despite not knowing if PWO’s will still exist a year from now.

For now, Nocco is just patiently waiting to see what opportunities will present themselves. He does plan on getting back to Clemson for a game in the fall. One thing he does know is that Swinney’s program checks all the boxes he is looking for in a college destination.

“First, academics, which my mom is pressuring me into and I don’t blame her,” Nocco said. “Football only lasts so long and once that runs out, you got to rely on your academics and get ready for the real world.”

“The second thing is going to be family, which that’s what Clemson football is about. So those are the main things I want to be looking at.”

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