Booth: "The All In cookout definitely secured my commitment with Clemson"
Clemson held off Auburn to land a commitment from Rivals100 defensive back Andrew Booth.
The 6-foot-1, 180 pound senior is the No. 5-ranked cornerback in the country. He could have played anywhere he wanted to, but Clemson is his choice.
Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers had all the momentum with the four-star out of Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer if you look back six months or so, but Auburn made it interesting late in the spring and early in the summer.
Booth spent time on the Plains, he saw his friend Owen Pappoe among other prospects he is close with from Georgia commit to Gus Malzahn and there begin to truly be a race for the top five prospect in the Peach State.
"I made my final decision July 27 around 11:45pm," said Booth. "It was the same day last year when they offered me. It was crazy how the cookout was the same day they offered me; an anniversary meant to be.
"The All In cookout definitely secured my commitment with Clemson. It was late at night when me, coach Swinney and nearly the whole coaching staff were conversing. I wasn’t expecting to commit that exact night, but the overwhelming feeling of God’s presence was real.
"Every night I’ve been asking God to give me a sign, to tell me something and I told him if I felt it, then I wouldn’t hesitate. Then boom, I was a Clemson Tiger."
The relationship Booth had with those at the Clemson program played a big role in his decision.
"That staff is close and I have relationships with most of them. I have gotten close to almost everyone on that staff. I talk to all of them on a regular basis and I like the stability at Clemson as much as anything," said Booth.
What Booth wanted more than anything was to feel like part of a family. He felt right at home when at Clemson. He has visited the Tigers over half a dozen times and he could not have felt better.
"Everyone treated me like I was already on the team. The coaching staff all knows me, they all have made me feel like the family and I am very comfortable at Clemson.
"I am a very big family guy, so seeing how coach Swinney and the coaches there are like a big family made it very easy for me to fit in there."
Georgia is the home-state school for Booth and the Bulldogs wanted to keep him home, but Kirby Smart and his program never really seemed to be where Auburn and Clemson were in this race for some reason. This is a big win for Swinney and the ACC power program.
Booth is a cornerback that checks about each box. He has great size. He has good speed. He has great awareness. He is an instinctive player. He has ball skills. He can tackle. He has confidence. Booth will be a player Clemson fans talk about the next three years as one of the top players in the 2019 class.
