Boyd Finally Finds A Home, Picks Clemson
Clemson received some good news yesterday as Phoebus quarterback Tajh Boyd chose the Tigers at his press conference. Boyd was the #4 ranked quarterback prospect in the country after leading Phoebus to two state titles in the last 3 years.
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HAMPTON ROADS, VA - Ever since he stepped into Phoebus High for the first time three years ago, Tajh Boyd has been tough to predict.
Opposing defenses couldn't find him in his sophomore year, as Boyd, who spent his freshman year at Virginia Beach's Landstown High, quarterbacked the Phantoms to a state title in his first year on Peninsula District gridirons. Things didn't improve much for the other sides during his junior year, as Boyd headed up an offense that helped the squad back to the state title game, where the Phantoms fell to Stone Bridge.
With the mantra "Unfinished Business," on his squad's mind, Boyd helped Phoebus to one of the best seasons in state history last year, as the Phantoms roared to national prominence with a 15-0 season, culminating in routs of Stone Bridge in the state semifinals and Dinwiddie in the finals. The Phantoms allowed just 53 points all season, a total they surpassed on four separate occasions.
So it came as little surprise when Boyd's tough-to-follow nature continued during the search for his new school. He committed to West Virginia last fall, then announced he was re-opening his search. Tennessee was his next choice, but Boyd decided to keep looking after coach Phillip Fulmer was let go, and new coach Lane Kiffin said that Boyd might not be a good fit for the Volunteers' offensive style.
Over the past few months, he headed to Ohio State to visit on of the most successful programs in the nation, and flew to Oregon, which has a pass-happy offense that seemed a fine fit for a young quarterback.
Just after being named the top offensive player in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl (a college All-Star game) in early January, Boyd visited one more school. On Tuesday afternoon, one day before undergoing surgery to repair the torn MCL that plagued him for most of last season, Boyd strolled into a small room at Phoebus to announce his (hopefully) final selection.
Boyd's father Tim laid out three hats on a press table (two of which displayed the logos of Ohio State and Oregon), and Boyd, flanked by his parents and brother, sat down to reveal the secret.
"This is something that I've waited for my whole life," he said. "This is an honor. I was undecided until about 10 minutes ago. For the next four or five years in my college football career..."
He reached for the third hat on the table, the one for the school he only visited about two weeks ago.
"I'm going to be attending Clemson University," Boyd said, placing the orange Tiger emblem across his head. The room exploded in cheers and applause.
"It felt like the right thing," he said. "I felt like I'd have a chance to come in and compete early. I had a good relationship with the staff. I feel like I can come in and compete early for an ACC championship. I feel that I can improve my game to the maximum, and I feel like I have a shot to go to the NFL someday."
Boyd, who will officially sign with the Tigers on Feb. 4's National Signing Day, joins a squad that went 7-5 last year, losing a close 26-21 decision to Nebraska in the Gator Bowl. Though his injury will keep him from playing in the spring game in April (he's already graduated from Phoebus), Boyd said he hoped to compete for the starting job as early as this fall, and that he hopes to major in sports management.
"I'm looking forward to the competition," he said. "Competition only makes you better. I want to come in and start right away. I'll be rehabbing for four to six months, but I'll going to be working as hard as I can." He'll be working with coach Dabo Swinney, who took over in mid-season last October. Starting quarterback Cullen Harper graduated, leaving Boyd to vie for the new leadership role with sophomore Willie Korn, who played in six games last season and threw for 216 yards.
Coach Bill Dee, who recently announced his intentions to leave Phoebus for Christopher Newport University's staff next season, said goodbye to one of his top charges.
"As well as him being a great player, he's a great kid, a great leader," Dee said. "I'm going to miss him as a person as well as a player."
