Spring game a crucial part of the recruiting process

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Fri Apr 11 13:02:09 GMT-04:00 2014

CLEMSON – The Clemson coaching staff will host somewhere between 115 and 130 recruits for this weekend‘s spring game, an event that kicks off what they hope will be a busy spring and summer of recruiting.

The annual Orange and White Game will kick off at 4 p.m. inside of Death Valley Saturday afternoon, a game that will be televised on ESPNU.

TigerNet spoke with Thad Turnipseed this week, Clemson’s Director of Recruiting/External Affairs, and Turnipseed that said that spring games play an important role in the recruiting process. A big reason? Recruits are committing to schools on earlier dates.

“The past four or five years, recruiting has changed and the timeline has changed,” Turnipseed said. “It has moved up six months. A lot of the commitments are made starting in the spring and during the summer. Most major schools are having 60 to 70 percent of their commits done by the summer. So the spring game is kicking off the summer. You bring in the guys you really want for next year, and you bring them into the spring game.”

Turnipseed came to Clemson after spending the previous 11 years at Alabama, where he started as director of capital projects, designing and overseeing over $200 million in athletic projects.

He said that Alabama began the rise back to greatness by recruiting during Nick Saban’s first spring games.

“When I was at Alabama and Coach Saban came in, Alabama was as low as it’s ever been,” he said. “They had been on probation and had several bad years. Coach Saban came in and brought in that excitement. They had over 120,000 people at the game. He knew that would kick start the whole special run that Alabama has had.”

Other programs have also seen the benefit of big attendance figures at spring games.

“Ohio St. has had over 80,000. Auburn last year, in the first year with Gus Malzahn, had over 83,000,” Turnipseed said. “That excitement and that energy around the program means a lot. Having the former players around and the current players that are there, it is the perfect kick off for the next year. “

He then said that the spring game acts as the launching point for the summer recruiting circuit, and he hopes that Clemson fans turn out in big numbers on Saturday.

“Following the spring game, you go right into the summer camps. That is really the first time you can see them, feel them, put your hands on them and learn about the kid you are about to offer,” he said. “The spring game can get more kids to your camps, which is crucial. That is why we need Clemson nation to show up. It’s been proven to me that we have the loudest fans in the country, and we have the best atmosphere. If we can just transfer that to the spring game, it will really help us kick off recruiting for the spring and the summer. “

Some of the Expected Visitors

2015 commits

WR Shadell Bell Shadell Bell
Wide Receiver
6-3, 190
Decatur, GA
ESPN:
View Full Profile Shadell Bell
Wide Receiver
6-3, 190
Decatur, GA
ESPN:
View Full Profile , Decatur (GA) Columbia

OL Jake Fruhmorgen Jake Fruhmorgen
Offensive Tackle
6-5, 280
Tampa, FL
ESPN:
View Full Profile Jake Fruhmorgen
Offensive Tackle
6-5, 280
Tampa, FL
ESPN:
View Full Profile , Tampa (FL) Plant

OL Noah Green Noah Green
Offensive Tackle
6-5, 275
Boiling Springs, SC
ESPN:
View Full Profile Noah Green
Offensive Tackle
6-5, 275
Boiling Springs, SC
ESPN:
View Full Profile , Boiling Springs (SC)

OL Mitch Hyatt Mitch Hyatt
Offensive Tackle
6-6, 270
Suwannee, GA
ESPN:
View Full Profile Mitch Hyatt
Offensive Tackle
6-6, 270
Suwannee, GA
ESPN:
View Full Profile , Suwanee (GA) North Gwinnett

QB Tucker Israel Tucker Israel
Quarterback
6-1, 195
Orlando, FL
ESPN:
View Full Profile Tucker Israel
Quarterback
6-1, 195
Orlando, FL
ESPN:
View Full Profile , Orlando (FL) Lake Nona

S Tanner Muse Tanner Muse
Linebacker
6-4, 205
Belmont, NC
ESPN:
View Full Profile Tanner Muse
Linebacker
6-4, 205
Belmont, NC
ESPN:
View Full Profile , Belmont (NC) South Point

S Van Smith Van Smith
Athlete
6-0, 170
Charlotte, NC
ESPN:
View Full Profile Van Smith
Athlete
6-0, 170
Charlotte, NC
ESPN:
View Full Profile , Charlotte (NC) West Mecklenburg

2015 prospects

OL Brandon Sandifer, Warner Robins (GA) Northside

CB Antonio Parks, Reserve (LA) East St. John

OL Venzell Boulware Venzell Boulware
Offensive Line
6-4, 290
Fairburn, GA
View Full Profile Venzell Boulware
Offensive Line
6-4, 290
Fairburn, GA
View Full Profile , Fairburn (GA) Creekside

DT Gage Cervenka Gage Cervenka
Defensive Tackle
6-3, 280
Greenwood, SC
View Full Profile Gage Cervenka
Defensive Tackle
6-3, 280
Greenwood, SC
View Full Profile , Greenwood (SC) Emerald

CB Kaleb Chalmers Kaleb Chalmers
Cornerback
5-11, 170
Greenwood, SC
ESPN:
View Full Profile Kaleb Chalmers
Cornerback
5-11, 170
Greenwood, SC
ESPN:
View Full Profile , Greenwood (SC)

LB Tyler Cooksey Tyler Cooksey
Linebacker
6-3, 230
Norcross, GA
View Full Profile Tyler Cooksey
Linebacker
6-3, 230
Norcross, GA
View Full Profile , Norcross (GA) Greater Atlanta Christian

DE LaSamuel Davis LaSamuel Davis
Defensive End
6-4, 205
Bamberg, SC
ESPN:
View Full Profile LaSamuel Davis
Defensive End
6-4, 205
Bamberg, SC
ESPN:
View Full Profile , Bamberg-Ehrhardt (SC)

WR Juval Mollette Juval Mollette
Wide Receiver
6-4, 180
Randleman, NC
ESPN:
View Full Profile Juval Mollette
Wide Receiver
6-4, 180
Randleman, NC
ESPN:
View Full Profile , Randleman (NC)

LB Roquan Smith Roquan Smith
Outside Linebacker
6-2, 205
Montezuma, GA
ESPN:
View Full Profile Roquan Smith
Outside Linebacker
6-2, 205
Montezuma, GA
ESPN:
View Full Profile , Montezuma (GA) Macon County

DE Russell Ude, Atlanta (GA) Westminster

S Leomont Evans, Jr., Blythewood (SC)

2016 prospects

QB Trey Coryell, Perry (GA)

LB/DB Stephen Davis, Irmo (SC) Dutch Fork

RB Elijah Deveaux Elijah Deveaux
Running Back
6-1, 190
Charlotte, NC
View Full Profile Elijah Deveaux
Running Back
6-1, 190
Charlotte, NC
View Full Profile , Charlotte (NC) Charlotte Christian

LB Tobias Little Tobias Little
Linebacker
6-1, 230
Atlanta, GA
View Full Profile Tobias Little
Linebacker
6-1, 230
Atlanta, GA
View Full Profile , Atlanta (GA) Mays

WR Maysoe Wiley Maysoe Wiley
Wide Receiver
6-4, 190
Adel, GA
View Full Profile Maysoe Wiley
Wide Receiver
6-4, 190
Adel, GA
View Full Profile , Adel (GA) Cook County