Nation's No. 1 RB loves Clemson offense

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Fri Jun 22 11:56:19 GMT-04:00 2012

The nation’s top-rated running back is fascinated with sports psychology, and even the psychology that revolves around major college football recruiting.

With that in mind, Richmond (Va.) Hermitage’s Derrick Green Derrick Green
Running Back
6-0, 215
Richmond, VA
View Full Profile says that academics are going to play a huge role in the school he chooses to attend.

The 5-star prospect is a solid 6-0, 215-pounder that has been clocked at 4.37 seconds in the 40-yard dash, a mixture of size, strength and speed that has led to him being rated as the nation’s top running back by Rivals. It has also led to 31 scholarship offers from all of the major programs.

Green has long had Clemson as one of his top schools, and he said he was pleased to see the Tigers pick up a bevy of talented defensive players last week.

“I don’t really pay that much attention to recruiting,” Green told TigerNet this week. “I saw where Clemson picked up Robert Nkemdiche Robert Nkemdiche
Defensive End
6-5, 275
Loganville, GA
View Full Profile and that’s great, but I wonder more about why a player picks a particular school. For me, when I pick a school, it is going to be about how I feel and my relationship with the coaches, the academics and the depth chart. That is what I am looking for.”

Green said that the depth chart will play a factor in his school choice, and he understands the challenges Clemson will face following the graduation of Andre Ellington after this season.

“I know I want to come out as a freshman and start,” he said. “I know what happened with Mike [Bellamy] there, and I know I have a good chance to start if I choose Clemson. That is one thing the coaches are always telling me, that they could see me playing right away if I came there.”

Green told TigerNet that he loves the style of offense that offensive coordinator Chad Morris runs.

“I like all of the different things they do,” he said. “They try and get the running back the ball in different ways, and they don’t run just one style. There are a lot of things I like about that offense.”

Green said he hears from Morris and running backs coach Tony Elliott on a consistent basis.

“I hear from Coach Morris and Coach Elliott a lot,” he said. “Coach Elliott is my position coach, and we talk about everything, not just football. Coach Morris, he talks about the different ways they run their running game, and how he sees me fitting into their offense. He says he needs a big back like I am.”

He said he loves the Clemson campus and his relationship with the coaching staff, and feels like the Tigers are still one of his top schools. However, he wants to take more visits in the fall before making a decision after the season is over.

In the meantime, he is chasing down his dream of majoring in psychology.

“Everybody is still equal,” he said. “I don’t have a top three or anything like that right now. At Clemson, I have a great relationship with the coaches, I love the atmosphere and the academics. My mother majored in psychology, and I took a psychology course this year. I am very interested in that.”

As a junior, he rushed for over 1,500 yards and scored 20 touchdowns.