Tigers add another piece to 2021 recruiting class with 5-star snapper |
The long snapper position is one of the more underappreciated and unrecognized positions on the field to the common fan, their names coming to light only when a mistake is made. Most snappers operate in relative anonymity and they are ok with that. Clemson has had a solid run of long snappers and added to that tradition this past week when Class of 21 snapper Holden Caspersen committed.
Caspersen, out of Roswell (GA) High School, is rated as a five-star long snapper by Rubio Long Snapping and he committed to the Tigers as a walk-on. Caspersen (6-0 210) also had offers from Tulane, Stetson and Kennesaw State. Bill Spiers called with the opportunity and it didn’t take Caspersen long to make a decision. “I was first talked to by them back in April, I would say. And they were talking to me and they wanted me to get into the school because it's a walk-on opportunity, so they needed me to get accepted,” Caspersen said. “And I was talking with Coach (Danny) Pearman for a while. He was the head special teams guy. And then here recently with his roles change, I started talking to Coach Spiers and he told me that I had the chance to come walk on there and be a part of the team. And I think there's about 30 minutes later, I called him back and told him I was in, I was ready for it.” Caspersen said Clemson has been his goal since a visit last year. “Once I stepped foot on campus, I, there was something special,” he said. “I was definitely excited and I knew I wanted to be a part of it. And I really loved being up there. It felt like home. That's what it was. So I knew since then, that's what I wanted. So I worked for it. “The culture that Coach Swinnney has built there so far is incredible. It’s more than just developing players, it’s developing character on and off the field and preparing you for life. And I really liked that in the culture and bringing in players that are amazing on the field and also have that good character off the field. And I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of and I could fit right in.” Caspersen shares a coach with former Clemson long snapper Patrick Phibbs and understands the tradition. “Definitely a long tradition. And I want to build my own name for myself as much as I can be as a long snapper, but I'm ready for it,” Caspersen said. Caspersen hopes to enroll in June. “Coach Spiers said coming in and at the end of June and just getting acclimated and getting ready to school and seeing how numbers progressed on the roster spot, seeing when they can bring beyond, they don't know exactly when that could be,” Caspersen said. “They said anywhere from fall camp, either then or all the way to January 2022, coming in then, but they want eventually bring me on when the numbers allow, just a weird year, they said.” Great time this week at @HKA_Tanalski Elite Camp! Here’s some consecutive snaps from camp. pic.twitter.com/QRogZsPM7t
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