You’ve got recruiting questions and we have the answers.C
Welcome to All Clemson’s recruiting mailbag, where we will answer your recruiting questions. Or we will at least attempt to do so, as recruiting is a world with many moving parts and an ever-changing landscape where circumstances can often change in a flash.
With that in mind, let’s dive in.
Nathan: Where do we stand on wide receiver recruits and does Clemson have any corners or safety they love in this class?
4-star Alex Taylor (Grimsley, NC) was the first 2024 wideout to pick up an offer from Clemson. This one looks to be coming down to Clemson, North Carolina and NC State. He visited for a practice on Wednesday and is expected to take an official in June. I think Clemson has positioned themselves well here.
Other names to know are 4-star in-state prospect Braylon Staley (Aiken), 4-star Cam Coleman (Phenix City, Al), 4-star TJ Moore (Tampa Catholic, Fl) and 4-star Bryant Wesco (Midlothian). Of those four, I think the Tigers have the best shot with Staley or Moore.
There's also 5-star ATH Mike Matthews. While Clemson started out recruiting him as a safety, Matthews seems to be leaning towards wanting to play receiver, and the Tigers would absolutely be on board with that. He was back on campus this week and I would fully expect Clemson to get one of his officials in June.
As it stands currently, the number is two. Let's see which ones make it in for the big official visit weekend in June and then see where we are.
As for the cornerbacks, the number there is also two. With 4-star Tavoy Feagin (Carrollwood Day, Tampa, Fl) already on board, the staff is looking for just one more. 4-star Corian Gipson (Lancaster, Tx) is set to be on hand for the spring game. It will mark his second spring visit, and seeing that he has to travel all the way from Texas, that is telling.
Gipson has officials set with Clemson, Alabama and Texas. We'll see if his recruitment gets that far. I'm not convinced it will.
Clemson also only has one spot remaining at safety. 4-star Noah Dixon (Troup County, LaGrange, Ga) is already committed and 5-star ATH KJ Bolden is at the top of the list for the final spot.
Robbie: I'm assuming the coaches will move on to another QB for this class. Any early candidates?
Yes, I fully expect the staff to move on to another quarterback target after missing on Air Noland. Putting it off until 2025 wouldn't be ideal and might very well mean having to take two in the next cycle.
As for who that next target might be, I think that is yet to be determined. I'm not sure the coaching staff even knows for sure who the next guy will be. Dabo Swinney's high school camps are coming up next month, and I could see them waiting until after that before deciding which way to go next.
I don't see quarterback as some dire need in this class. You absolutely want to still take one but with two underclassmen who are both former 5-star prospects, finding a highly-rated guy to jump on board was always going to be difficult in my opinion. I do think they could still easily find a quarterback with a lot of upside that still needs a little developing.
Neal: It appears we’ve given up recruiting in SC and are concentrating more in Alabama. Is it because Auburn is down or Nick Saban is nearing retirement?
Clemson has not given up on recruiting the state of South Carolina. They just recruited 4-star OL Blake Franks and Kam Pringle. They have been recruiting 4-star OL Josiah Thompson and are currently recruiting 4-star WR Braylon Staley. All in-state players. They did not land Pringle or Franks, and they aren't likely to land Thompson. They are in the thick of it for Staley, though. You just aren't going to win every battle, and South Carolina is carrying a little momentum right now. It certainly doesn't mean the sky is falling or the staff will give up on recruiting the state.
Seven members of the Tigers 2022 class came from South Carolina, although that number is a little skewed due to some late takes after Brent Venables left and the decommitments that followed. Three in-state prospects were part of the last recruiting class, which is closer to the norm.
This isn't one of the most talent-laden states in the country, so the Tigers are never going to make their living recruiting South Carolina. Being a national brand, they can go where the talent is and recruit players they at least think they have a realistic shot at landing. Whether that is in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, or even South Carolina. It has nothing to do with Saban nearing retirement, and I will believe he is retired when I see it, nor Auburn being down. And with Hugh Freeze now running things on The Plains, I wouldn't expect them to stay down for very long. Look no further than the Walker White recruitment as an example.
It's a recipe that has worked fairly well, as Dabo Swinney has very consistently signed Top 10 classes.
Wanna ask a recruiting question, shoot us an email a jp@clemsonmaven.io or shoot us a DM on Twitter.
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