Tigers on same recruiting track as a year ago |
It seems like at least once every two days I get an email with the same question, and I see it a lot on the board: What is wrong with Clemson’s recruiting?
The simple answer: Nothing yet. The general perception is that Clemson recruiting is struggling, and when the news came across on Wednesday that linebacker prospect Isaac McDonald was not only no longer being recruited by Clemson but was also no longer a commit, the questions came back. Many people point to the fact that the Tigers now have just six commitments for the 2013 class, and they wonder if the Tigers are falling behind in a college football version of the arm’s race. It also doesn’t help matters when several schools already have more commitments than the Tigers will even take in this recruiting cycle. Clemson plans to take 16-to-19, and Michigan already has 21 commitments (14 4-star guys) while Georgia – a school in Clemson’s back yard – has 19, nine which are 4-star guys. Even arch-rival South Carolina has 15 commitments, nine of which are 3-star prospects. Adding to the concern is the fact that Florida has also had an impressive early recruiting haul, and several of those are prospects that were not only high on the Tigers but even had a few that had the Tigers as leaders at one point. Florida currently has 16 verbals, nine 4-stars and seven 3-stars. However, in doing some research into last year’s solid recruiting class, the Tigers only had four commitments on board at this time a year ago – Shaq Lawson,
Germone HopperGermone Hopper Fr. Athlete # 6-0, 175 Charlotte, NC View Full Profile
,
Jay GuillermoJay Guillermo Fr. Offensive Line # 6-3, 285 Maryville, TN View Full Profile
and
Patrick DeStefanoPatrick DeStefano Fr. Offensive Line # 6-4, 280 Roebuck, SC View Full Profile
. It was at this juncture of the summer, however, that the commitments started pouring in.
Cordrea TankersleyCordrea Tankersley Fr. Defensive Back # 6-2, 195 Aiken, SC View Full Profile
and
Ronnie GeohaghanRonnie Geohaghan Fr. Safety # 6-0, 185 Fairfax, SC View Full Profile
committed right as Clemson head coach
Dabo SwinneyDabo Swinney Head Coach View Full Profile
’s camp began, and that started a domino effect of big-name recruits joining the Clemson fold. Defensive back
Travis BlanksTravis Blanks Fr. Defensive Back # 6-1, 180 Tallahassee, FL View Full Profile
went the day after Geohaghan, and the next week saw quarterback
Chad KellyChad Kelly Fr. Quarterback # 6-3, 205 Buffalo, NY View Full Profile
and punter
Bradley PinionBradley Pinion Fr. Punter / Kicker # 6-6, 220 Concord, NC View Full Profile
announce their plans to attend Clemson, and the Tigers were off and running. Indeed, it seemed the Tigers had filled many of their eventual spots by the end of the summer, and were able to concentrate on a few key players as the season progressed. The good news is that the Tigers are on about the same track as last season. But with Dabo’s camp opening next week, it also be nice to see some of those 2013 dominoes begin to fall just as they did a year ago. 2013 Commitments
Name POS Ht/Wt Hometown
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