Tigers making inroads into the state of Texas

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Tue Jan 24 20:04:37 GMT-04:00 2012

The state of Texas has long been a talent-rich area, an area that college football recruiters frequent when trying to find the nation’s best high school football talent.

The Clemson Tigers made a small entry into the Texas scene last year with the hiring of offensive coordinator Chad Morris, a former high school coach in the Lone Star State who used his contacts and relationships to send out several offers.

The hiring of former Oklahoma defensive coach Brent Venables has created another pathway from South Carolina into the state of Texas, and it didn’t take Venables long to reach back into the state and target several recruits he was recruiting while a Sooner.

That trend continued this week as Clemson has made offers to 2013 players in the state, including Brett Wade Brett Wade
Linebacker
6-2, 215
Kennedale, TX
View Full Profile , a 6-2, 215-pounder out of Kennedale who said he figured he would be hearing from Clemson but was surprised to get a Monday offer from an Atlantic Coast Conference school.

“It was very surprising,” Wade told TigerNet Tuesday afternoon. I really didn’t expect an offer or anything, but since I have been talking to Coach Venables a whole bunch I figured I would hear from Clemson pretty soon, and it was the day after he was hired. And then I talked to Coach Morris yesterday, and he offered me.”

Wade threw up some monster numbers during his junior campaign, registering 128 tackles and 10 sacks while picking up All-District and All-Area honors. He is regarded by many as one of if not the top linebacker prospect in the state of Texas for 2013, and as a result he has picked up offers Texas Tech, Missouri and Kansas State.

Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have been by his school for visits, but Wade said Venables is one coach he has heard a lot from.

“I actually talked to him the day they whipped Texas at the Cotton Bowl,” Wade said. “I spoke with him then and we have kept in contact. A couple of weeks ago, he came into my school office with OU (Oklahoma) and mentioned a scholarship, but he also said that Mike Stoops was back at OU, and he said he might be moving to another school.”

As a result, Wade said he would strongly consider Clemson despite the distance from home. He also is thinking about majoring in engineering.

“I would really consider it, because I like the way Coach Venables coaches,” he said. “I am not sure how far I want to go away from home, but I do want to get away. I am not weighing any school over any other right now – they are all even. I have some visits to take, and I am hearing from a lot of schools that aren’t even in Texas. Oregon came thru today.”

Morris made the trip to Dallas (Jesuit) Tuesday morning, and while he was there he made offers to three Jesuit players – OL J.J. Gustafson J.J. Gustafson
Offensive Line
6-6, 265
Dallas, TX
View Full Profile , LB Jordan Mastrogiovanni Jordan Mastrogiovanni
Linebacker
6-3, 225
Dallas, TX
View Full Profile and WR Jake Oliver Jake Oliver
Wide Receiver
6-4, 195
Dallas, TX
View Full Profile .

Gustafson said Venables has been to several Jesuit practices to watch Mastrogiovanni, but he also enjoyed getting to know Morris this morning even though he already knew a ton about the Tigers.

“It is really cool to have received an offer from there,” Gustafson, a 6-6, 265-pounder, said. “Clemson has a very potent offense, and they got off to that 8-0 start. I know they have some really talented guys in Sammy Watkins and others. They are a program that is definitely on the rise.”

He said that Morris used the players’ free period to sit down and make the offers.

“Coach Morris coached at Lake Travis, so we talked about that,” he said. “They are a real power program in this state, so it was cool to talk to him. He said he needs some Texas guys to join him in South Carolina. He is a really cool guy, very personable.”