Clemson adds No. 6 WR in nation to 2011 recruiting class

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Jun 16 14:39:47 GMT-04:00 2010

CLEMSON – Turns out that Clemson receiver coach Jeff Scott had a secret, a secret he had been hiding from the rest of the Clemson coaching stiff since last Saturday.

And early Wednesday morning turned out to be the perfect time to let the proverbial cat out of the bag.

Dorman wide receiver Charone Peake is the nation's No. 91 overall prospect according to Rivals.com and is listed as the No. 6 overall wide receiver in nation for the 2011 recruiting class, and he let Scott know on Saturday that he was done with the recruiting process and wanted to be a Clemson Tiger.

Scott had Peake wait until early Wednesday morning, while the coaches were having a staff meeting, to break the news in dramatic fashion.

“Me and coach Scott talked it over, and we decided to surprise coach Swinney,” Peake told TigerNet Wednesday. “He wanted to come into the meeting and announce there. When I walked in, coach Swinney had his head down, and I was just standing there for a while. When he finally looked up, I told him I had talked it over with parents, and that they didn’t have to wait anymore. I told them I was ready to be a Clemson Tiger. They went crazy.”

Peake said the announcement set off a mini-celebration of sorts for those in attendance, and then added the decision was an easy one for him to make.

“Clemson is where I feel the most comfortable and it where I feel like I am the most at home,” Peake said. “I just didn’t want to wait anymore. It was the right decision for me. I am 100 percent a Clemson Tiger.”

Peake chose Clemson over Georgia, Florida, Notre Dame, Auburn, LSU, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma, USC, South Carolina and tons of other programs.

The 6-3, 200-pounder said the fact that the Clemson coaches have been involved with him throughout his high school career made a huge difference in his decision.

“Ever since I have been going to Clemson, I just get more and more comfortable the more I do,” he said. “I like all of the coaches, and they feel like a family to me. They've made me feel real comfortable ever since they started recruiting me. I have a real good relationship with them.”

Now that the pressure is off, he said he just wants to concentrate on trying to lead Dorman back to the state championship this season.

“This is a big relief for me,” Peake said. “Now I feel like I can just go out and focus on my team and my teammates and play the football the way I am capable of playing.”

As a junior, Peake caught 52 passes for 881 yards and nine touchdowns in leading the Cavaliers to the 4A state championship.

Tom Luginbill picks Charone Peake over fellow five-star WR

George Farmer for the No. 1 WR spot in ESPNU Rankings.


2011 Football Commitments

Shaq Anthony        OL   6-5  260 Piedmont, SC (Wren HS)


Isaiah Battle	    OL	 6-7  260 St George, Virginia (Blue Ridge HS)


Mike Bellamy	    RB	 5-10 180 Punta Gorda, FL (Charlotte HS)


Joe Gore            DE   6-6  262 Lake Waccamaw, NC (East Columbus HS)


Adam Humphries      WR   5-11 176 Roebuck, SC (Dorman HS)


Marlin Lane         RB   6-1  190 Daytona Beach, FL (Mainland HS)


Eric MacLain        TE   6-5  245 Fayetteville, NC Jack (Britt HS)


Jerome Maybank      DT   6-4  310 Pawley's Island (Waccamaw HS)


Tony McNeal         QB   6-1  180 Chester, SC (Chester, HS)


Ryan Norton         OL   6-4  275 Mauldin, SC (Mauldin HS)


Geraldo Orta	    DB	 6-1  180 Valdosta, GA (Lowndes HS) 


Charone Peake       WR   6-3  200 Spartanburg, SC (Dorman HS)


Robert Smith        ATH  6-0  180 Ft Dorchester, SC (Woodland HS)


DeShaun Williams    DT   6-0  280 Central, SC (Daniel HS)