Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Jun 7, 2021, 7:03 PM

Whew, I think that we all need a collective sigh of relief and exhaustion after the proceedings of the past week. While there was a definite sense of relief and excitement as visits are essential to Clemson’s recruiting process, sleep is also essential for the human body and it was hard to come by with the madness of the previous week. Last week was the first time in over 14 months that recruits were able to make their way to college campuses and visit schools in-person. And boy did they! Recruits flocked to schools across the country, and Clemson was no exception. With the combination of the Dabo Swinney Camp, visits, and new offers dispensed, there really was something in the hills this past week in Clemson. With all that said let’s review the week that was and preview the week that is in this crazy business we call recruiting.

-(Arch’s update is last, saved the best for last

)

-In my last update I was asked about Clemson’s chances with the 5* DT Travis Shaw, I responded that Shaw had not made his visit plans public yet, emphasis on Public. Well he has now made that news public that he will be at Clemson this weekend for the Retreat. This is just the beginning of what will no doubt be a long recruitment. Due to his profile he will be able to take a much more relaxed approach to these visits in June, as they are a precursor for official visits in the Fall. UNC gets a visit this week, they hosted him for their Spring Game as well, and UGA gets a visit June 17th and 18th. UNC has the advantage of proximity, but this is a recruitment that Clemson generally profiles well in once officials are taken in the Fall. Regardless of how the visits go, Clemson, UNC, and UGA seem to be the teams that will be there in the end. Still it is a big deal to get him on campus in June, especially around the other recruits.

-Quick hitters that I mentioned in more detail in updates last week. TE target Oscar Delp was on campus last week and made arrangements to return to Clemson for the cookout. After visiting both UGA and Clemson last week, I would still say that UGA leads, but not by a margin that is insurmountable. He will visit U of SC soon as well who is in this BTW. 5* DE Jeremiah Alexander also visited Clemson and UGA last week. He also scheduled a visit to Clemson for the cookout, and a Bama visit has already happened. Clemson made significant ground in that recruitment. In-state TE target Jaleel Skinner made his way to Clemson, and I think that Clemson made an impact. I have told y’all from the beginning this one is going to be crazy, and until resolution is made with Delp, I do not see Clemson pushing. However, this visit may have positioned them well if they choose to do so later in the Fall.

-I mentioned that 5* #1 WR for the class of 23’ Brandon Inniss made a surprise visit to Clemson on the day that Arch was camping. While Inniss was not supposed to workout, even he could not resist catching a few balls from Arch. I would say that Clemson made substantial progress in this recruitment, at least to the degree that they will now be in contention, and a team that Inniss takes a serious look at. Oklahoma, UGA, Miami, and OSU would join that group with Clemson.

-While we are on WR two big targets were on campus on Sunday.

-1st 22’ WR Antonio Williams made the drive from Dutch Fork to Clemson on Sunday. He was hoping to workout, but a hamstring injury sidelined him to the golf cart and a tour of the campus from the staff. His stay lasted through dinner with several staff members. The inability to workout inhibited his ability to earn an offer. However, it sounds as though this recruitment is what I told y’all from the start, if Clemson offers Williams will have a very hard time saying no. That is even on the back of a visit to U of SC, who many consider to be the leader. With a decision not likely until the Fall, Clemson has positioned itself to wait and see how the numbers workout, while also being in a good spot with Williams.

-2nd was a class of 23’ WR from NC Noah Rodgers. I brought Rodgers to y’all’s attention over a month ago when I was tipped off to watch his film. He showed that he was a top 50 player in my estimation and received a rating bump last time rankings were updated, just not as large as I would have given him. According to David’s fantastic camp insiders he stood out in the camp setting, and I would expect nothing less of him. UNC has made a push early to keep him in-state, but hopefully Clemson makes a substantial push.

-Counter Intelligence:

-Clemson was not the only team to get guys on campus and that included some of Clemson’s top targets.

-Local Mauldin CB target Jeadyn Lukus visited UNC this weekend, the team that I have pointed to as Clemson’s main target through the efforts of Bly. UNC has pushed hard and made things much closer than is perceived by many. However, Clemson gets him on campus this weekend for the Retreat, and I am of the belief that they can keep the local guy home. He still has a visit planned to OSU after the Retreat, and I would imagine that a decision would be made shortly after.

-Another CB target in Toriano Pride visited the team running second behind Clemson in OSU. Pride will also attend the Retreat, and right now I still feel good about where Clemson stands. He is planning to go to Auburn for a visit after the Retreat, and there could be a decision soon after that visit, and Clemson could lock him up officially this weekend.

-Two other small notes:

-1. LSU’s top target at RB committed to Bama this weekend, which means that they may begin to push for Trevor Etienne a little more. That also means that Bama may not have room for Branson Robinson who will be attending the Retreat, but UGA was the main competition there anyway.

-2. 5* DT target Gabe Dindy has been high on Clemson for some time, along with Oklahoma and Texas A&M, as his father is a pastor and the faith based culture has helped. However, Dindy’s father recently took a job at the Texas School of Preaching according to reports. That happens to be located in College Station, Texas. I do not know how this will affect Dindy’s recruitment, but it is one heck of a convenient coincidence for Texas A&M.

-Also OSU made a big impression on Safety prospect Zion Branch, they want him to commit within the week.

-Some big time targets will be on campus tuesday, and let’s start with the biggest.

-5* CB Daylen Everette will be at Clemson this Tuesday. The Tigers have been on Everette longer than any other team. However, UNC has been able to make inroads with his brother playing at Elon and through the efforts of Bly. UGA is there as well, but UNC and Clemson are the lead two heading into a swing of visits at the three aforementioned programs. I would paint UNC as having a slim lead over Clemson, Everette has been to Clemson for the Spring Game, and we all know what a trip to Clemson can do.

-DE Jihaad Campbell, one of the fastest rising prospects in the country, will be at Clemson on Tuesday. Clemson has been on him longer than anyone as well, and have built a strong relationship. I would say that Clemson leads; however, he was impressed with his Florida official, and most likely UGA is running second. Everette and Campbell are teammates at IMG.

-Newer CB offer Caleb Coley will be on campus on Tuesday. Not a lot of knowledge here, but I know the offer was a big deal, shown by his visit.

-Class of 23’NC WR Christian Hamilton is ranked as a top 40 prospect and will be on campus Tuesday. While I like Hamilton I feel that he may be a guy who got ranked a little too high early in the process. I like Noah Rodgers better based on film, but Hamilton is still a good player.

-I am sure that you, like the rest of the collective football world, are well aware that Arch Manning was at Clemson this weekend. I said last week prior to his visit that, after a long wait, this was Clemson’s chance to evaluate the player and the person, not just the hype and the pedigree. Well as they say, some things are worth the wait, and I believe that Arch would fit that bill. Returns from all who were in attendance to witness the spectacle were glowing. Unsurprisingly, Arch left Sunday with an offer, receiving it in Death Valley near the dawn of midnight on Saturday surrounded by Dabo and his family. I have spoken on this recruitment at length, but even over a month ago when Arch made his visits public, I noted that Clemson would include the things that would be important when the family sits down and compares the suitors. I would hint that a return to Clemson for a game in the Fall is likely. Manning spends the rest of June visiting UGA, Bama, Texas, SMU, and UNC. Notes and information will be hard to come by, but it is hard to imagine that Clemson could have done a better job cementing their place in the pecking order. And so the green flag has officially been waved in this recruitment and it’s time to go racing. While some may paint Clemson’s chances as bleak based on family relationships within the SEC, Dabo has the ROY bus fueled and ready to go, and I would suggest hoping for what is sure to be a wild ride. I do not know about you, but there is no one I would rather have in the driver’s seat than William Christopher Swinney

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I am not sure if you are referring to the Cookout or the Retreat, but the Cookout is still a little far away to project, but I can do the Retreat.

I think that the two that are closets to a decision would be Pride and Lukus, and while they may not decide at the Retreat because they each have one visit after, a visit would be within the next few weeks.

An interesting one will be Branson Robinson, while UGA leads most of visits will be concluded, so if Clemson could pull a miracle and flip him a decision is not far off for him, but I still think he ends up at UGA.

Finally the two safeties in Sabb and Covil could possibly.

-These kids have waited so long to visit that most are going to take all their visits, so if this was at the end of June I think there would be more, but within two-three weeks post-Retreat I thin you should see several.

Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Any guesses as to who commits at the cookout?

Re: Any guesses as to who commits at the cookout?

Re: Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Re: Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Re: Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Re: Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Re: Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Re: Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Re: Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Re: Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Re: Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Eh. Joined in March

Re: Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Re: Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Re: Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Re: Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Re: Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Re: Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Re: Recruiting This Week Pt. 1: Travis Shaw and Arch Manning Updates

Quite the material for a great painting....

Re: Quite the material for a great painting....

Re: Quite the material for a great painting....

Re: Quite the material for a great painting....

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