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Rex Brown

Daniel High School’s Deshaun Williams (99) sacks Chester quarterback Tony McNeal in the Upper State championship game, Nov. 28, 2008 at Singleton Field in Central. Williams, a rising junior, verbally committed to Clemson on Thursday.

CENTRAL — When Jarvis Jenkins left Daniel High School to head down the road to Clemson following the 2006 season, a young Deshaun Williams, wanting to follow in the footsteps of the behemoth defensive tackle, pleaded to wear his vacated No. 99.

And continuing to follow in those footsteps, Williams will be filling Jenkins’ No. 99 yet again in about two years — this time in an orange and white uniform.

After taking part in the Dabo Swinney Football Camp earlier this week, Williams received an offer from the Clemson coaching staff and committed to play his college ball for the Tigers, becoming the first commitment to their 2011 recruiting class.

He is the second Daniel player to commit to Clemson this year, as rising senior athlete DeAndre Hopkins, a four-star recruit, committed to the Tigers in March.

Growing up in the shadow of Death Valley, and as the son of former Clemson standout running back and 1990 ACC Rookie of the Year Ronald Williams, it was an easy decision for Williams, who stands at 6-foot-1 and tips the scales at 280 pounds.

“It makes me feel real good, because I always looked at Clemson when I was a little kid and I just wanted to play for them no matter what,” Williams said. “Myself, I just want to be at Clemson to help them be a top-notch team like they used to be in the ’80s and ’90s.”

And while Williams won’t be able to team with Jenkins, a rising junior with the Tigers this season, the Daniel standout said he played a big part in his decision, just as he has throughout the better part of his life.

“I’m very close to Jarvis, and ever since I was little, I looked up to him,” Williams said. “I spent most of my time with his family and they basically treated me as their child. I talk to Jarvis on a daily basis and I talked to him about my commitment and he just told me to come on.”

As a sophomore last season, Williams was a big reason why the Lions advanced all the way to the Upper State championship game, as he registered 82 tackles, including nine for loss to go along with seven sacks from his defensive tackle spot.

Daniel head coach Randy Robinson said Clemson will be getting a tremendous worker in Williams, who is routinely the first man in and last man out of the weightroom.

“He’s a machine in the weightroom,” Robinson said. “He loves to work and watch film, and they’re getting a great kid and a great football player.”

With that work ethic, Robinson said Williams is cut straight from the mold of Jenkins, and has the potential to live up to his icon.

And with that, Robinson is certainly glad to have another two seasons with big No. 99 plugging the middle.

“He begged me as soon as Jarvis graduated for No. 99, and I gave it to him last year and he certainly earned it,” Robinson said. “But he can wear that blue and white jersey for two more years.”