Heisman Winner [135492]
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RH Tig’s Most Excellent 2015 Recruiting Wrap Up Report
Feb 4, 2015, 4:22 PM
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An unfortunate year for those who thrive on the drama, this NSD was a little on the anticlimactic side, considering the fact that most of the 2015 recruiting class is already enrolled and will probably be Juniors or Seniors by the time spring practice rolls around. A quick side note...this year there will also be a new feature where we looks our rivals, the coots, and their 2015 class. That should be completed in a day or so if all of my Freedom of Information Act requests are handled by all of the various law enforcement agencies in a timely manner, so STAND BY YOUR COMPUTERS.
LaSamuel Davis – Davis is the not the twin brother of J.D. or Judah Davis, and not the son of legendary Clemson linebacker Jeff Davis, a member of the 1981 National Championship team. Regardless of those irrefutable facts, this speedy defensive end prospect comes to Clemson with a five star RH Tig rating, which is the highest you can get unless you get an RH Tig six star rating, which almost nobody ever gets. Clemson coaches love his speed and the fact that he plays with a violent streak. Still, Davis is the type of player that likes to do things his own way, which is why he decided to go ahead and commit to the Tigers early rather than go the typical route of committing to the Gamecocks, and then decommitting late in the recruiting process, as has become standard practice for most of the state’s top players. Davis has all the moves, and reminds me of his famous father, LaSammie Davis, Jr.
Mitch Hyatt – When Mitch Hyatt decided he wanted to come to Clemson, he promptly picked up the phone and booked a reservation with Coach Swinney. Hyatt is a five star RH Tig offensive line prospect, and a first team selection on the 2015 All Hotel Names Team. Hyatt is a legacy, as his uncle is none other than Clemson legend Dan Benish, a defensive tackle on the 1981 national championship team and a frequent customer of hotels during his 5 year NFL career. Hyatt is as big a complimentary ice machine (conveniently located next to the lobby and on the third floor), but will need to fill out his frame by taking advantage of the all you can eat breakfast buffet, which is included in the price of the scholarship. Check out time is expected to be in four years, but an early check out time is available if Hyatt excels as a true freshman.
Tucker Israel – Israel is a five star RH Tig prospect and first team All RH Tig selection making his exodus out of Florida to Clemson. Quality quarterbacks were a necessity in the 2015 class, and Israel was Clemson’s chosen quarterback. Possessing a very lively arm, Israel has the ability to rapidly spray the field with passes like an Uzi, yet he’s as accurate as a Galil. More than just a passer, he brews up yards on the ground if flushed from the pocket. Those that follow recruiting closely certainly can’t kvetch about his playmaking ability because oy vey, can that boychik throw a football!
Shadell Bell – Shadell Bell is smoother than Superfly, more dangerous than Shaft, and has the potential to provide fans more excitement than Dolemite. Bell ain’t no jive turkey and The Man ain’t gonna hold him back…he’s a five star RH Tig prospect as a wide receiver and a First Team selection to the All 1970s Blaxploitation Movie Character Name squad. He’s a total team player that would risk his neck for his brother man, and won’t cop out when there’s danger all about. I’m not sure that Tiger fans have anticipated a prospects arrival since cotton came to Harlem. Clemson fans are gonna dig watching this cat’s far-out moves on the field.
Kelly Bryant – Although a relative newcomer to the quarterback position, Bryant is the type of athlete that displays amazing athleticism and is capable of doing incredibly athletic things that make you think to yourself “Wow, is this kid ever an athlete”. Bryant consistently put on an athletic show of athleticism as an athlete/quarterback at Wren high school this past season by running, and jumping, and throwing….all very typical activities of someone that you would classify as an athletic athlete that possesses elite athleticism. It’s that very display of athletic ability that earned Bryant the coveted designation as a RH Tig five star recruit in the athletic quarterback category.
Jake Fruhmorgen – Fruhmorgen is a five star RH Tig offensive line prospect that was one of the most important targets for the Clemson offensive staff. Knowledgeable football fans might remember that his father John Fruhmorgen was a legendary player for the London Monarchs of the World League of American Football. Its one thing to be a legend in America, but it’s a whole different ball of wax to be a legend in a league that spans the entire globe. And that is just the kind of pedigree that Tiger offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell has been yearning for. Another reason our staff loves Fruhmorgen is his potential for being able to pull off a mullet. It’s been a few years since Clemson could claim a properly mulleted lineman, but studying his film I feel very confident that the Tigers are getting a future Mullet All American. Fruhmorgen will probably need a good year with our Shampoo & Conditioning coaches to get there, but his upside is unlimited.
Zach Giella – Giella has been on a path towards greatness ever since his critically acclaimed performance as Hamilton ‘Ham’ Porter in the classic baseball film The Sandlot. In spite of being one of the most prolific catchers in movie history, Giella has gone on to become a highly touted offensive line recruit and earned the coveted RH Tig five star designation. Giella was also a unanimous first team selection to the Ginger High School All American squad. Clemson was an easy sell for Dabo Swinney, being one of the only major programs in the nation that offers its players a lot of indoor practices and unlimted access to 50 SPF Cramergesic Ointment when they have to actually practice outside.
Noah Green – Clemson has managed to gain a certain cachet in recent years amongst the children of celebrities looking for a top flight college experience, and Noah Green is just one of the latest. Green is the son of former 90210 stars Brian Austin Green and cinematic hottie Megan Fox, but even more importantly, he is a five star RH Tig offensive line prospect. What a lot of people probably don’t know about Green is that he was born to the celebrity couple in September of 2012, which is an absolutely amazing feat and a true testament to his high school coaches for being able to fast track his development as a division I player in just a couple of years. As big as an ark, Green rains terror down up the defensive players trying to flood their way into the backfield. He is a veritable ocean of football smarts, and he doesn’t miss the boat in terms of pure athleticism.
Chad Smith – Losing a pair of Chads (Morris and Kelly) in 2014 meant that Coach Swinney and staff were going to have to scramble to make sure the Tigers would not be Chadless in 2015. I think if you look at championship caliber programs across the country, the one thing they all have in common is their ability to re-Chad every single year. Chad Smith was even better than could be hoped for, because it’s not every day a five star RH Tig prospect comes along that fits the criteria of being not only a Chad, but a division I caliber Chad that can contribute quickly. One of the worst scenarios I could imagine for the Clemson football program would be to need a Chad, and to have no Chad to call on in the myriad situations in college football that simply demand nothing less than a Chad. As Clemson fans, we’ve seen Chadless years, and years where our Chad runneth over. Coach Swinney is taking the right approach to make sure that the Tigers remain competitive other elite programs by making a Chad one of the top targets in every cycle.
Van Smith – In spite of being a RH Tig five star recruit, a lot of fans that think they know recruiting were unhappy with Swinney and staff recruiting Van Smith. Instead, many of the amateur online pundits wanted Truck Johnson, or at the very least, SUV Jones. And even still, there were fans who thought that scholarship should go to someone flashy like Sports Car Wilson or even economical, like Subcompact Davis. There was talk of this being a package deal with kicker El Camino Vasquez in the early going, but that didn’t really didn’t fill a need for Clemson. But the bottom line is that Van Smith was the right call for Clemson being able to reload the program’s need for a transportation-based name, especially in light of the fact that Miata Suzuki was dismissed just before the bowl game.
Ray Ray McCloud – McCloud is without a doubt one of the recruits that excites Clemson fans the most because of the fact that he is the first Ray Ray that Dabo’s staff has been able to sway towards Tigertown since Ray Ray McElrathbey in 2005. Coach Swinney and his staff realize that Ray Rays don’t come along every year, and when you get a chance to snap one up, you go for it. I know that there are some coaches across the country that will pass on a Ray Ray thinking that they can get a Ray Ray Ray, but being in the ACC means you always take a Ray Ray when you have the chance. There just aren’t enough scholarships available by NCAA rule to bring in a whole bunch of Ray quantity hoping that you get Ray Ray quality. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that McCloud is also a five star RH Tig prospect, and a first team selection on the prestigious Double First Name High School All American team.
Mark Fields – The son of a former NFL linebacker, Fields has really impressing recruiters with his speed, and of course the fact that he earned an impressive RH Tig five star designation with his stellar play during the course of his high school career. Once the subject of an intense recruiting battle between the Tigers and Gamecocks, Fields ended up choosing Clemson after coming away greatly disappointed in what he uncovered about the strength of academics at the University of South Carolina. Coach Spurrier introduced Fields to some of the more successful Gamecock alums around Columbia area during his recruiting visit, and after ordering a Whopper, two Big Macs, and an Asiago Chicken Ranch Club from them, he reached the sensible conclusion that the Gamecocks were no longer a viable option for his academic future. Fields is one of the highest profile decommitments of the Spurrier era at South Carolina in a year where the Gamecocks are setting NCAA records in that area.
Jalen Williams – Even though all of the odds were against him, linebacker prospect Jalen Williams found a way to rise above the pain and indignity of coming from a home where his mother was a South Carolina alum. Even though this tragic condition has affected the lives of so many of our state’s youth in the past, Williams was not going to let this horrific malady stop him from reaching his potential as a student, an athlete, or as a man. His incredible work ethic and perseverance paid off when he reached the pinnacle of football greatness by achieving the coveted RH Tig five star ranking, which is one of the main reasons that he earned a scholarship offer from Dabo Swinney, in spite of his underprivileged upbringing. Williams reminds me of Navin Johnson, another huge star that rose from an impossibly tough background.
Gage Cervenka – Defensive coordinator Brent Venables could smell what Gage Cervenka was cooking. The defensive staff feels that he is a kid with an unlimited ceiling as a defensive tackle prospect…not only is he a three time state wrestling champion, but he can also claim the rarefied air of being an RH Tig five star recruit as well. Clemson coaches love Cervenka's aggressiveness, his solid fundamentals, and his attitude that to be The Man, you have to beat The Man. And, as any coach of an elite program knows, it never hurts to have a player that can perfectly execute intricate moves such as Arn Anderson's Spinebuster, Jimmy Snuka's Superfly Splash, Booker T's Harlem Hangover, Killer Kowalsi's all but forgotten Stomach Claw, and of course, Randy Orten's RKO. Cervenka is ready to get to Clemson because he strives to be the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. Cervenka reminds me of WWF great Ivan Putski, the Polish Hammer.
Sterling Johnson – Sterling Johnson is one of the top defensive end prospects in the country, and his accolades peaked with finally being named an RH Tig five star prospect. Johnson was destined to orange, although it was almost the washed out excuse for orange that the University of Tennessee flaunts. Johnson initially wanted to commit to the Volunteers, who were all too happy to have him...until they found out that he has all of his teeth. Once this came to light, the UT coaches felt that Johnson would not fit in with the team culture, and politely declined his offer to commit. Luckily, Dabo Swinney, not being an anti-dentite, was more than happy to accept Johnson's pledge based on his academic potential and his athletic prowess.
Kaleb Chalmers – Kaleb Chalmers is a five star RH Tig prospect that hails from Greenwood, SC. This was an important pick up for the Tigers due to the fact that Clemson has not gotten the recruiting traction in the Greenwood area over the past few years that the coaching staff would have preferred. Chalmers took an official visit to Clemson and came away very impressed with the school, the academics, the athletic program, and especially the upgrades to the facilities that Clemson is in the process of completing. Chalmers especially liked seeing the plans for the Oculus, and the upgraded luxury suites. He says that he also came away impressed with the Gamecocks planned stadium upgrades on his trip to Columbia as well, and that Coach Steve Spurrier even showed Chalmers the plans to clean the bathrooms at Williams-Brice stadium over the summer, but fortunately for the Tigers, scrubbing bubbles weren't enough to sway the speedy cornerback away from the Tigers.
Clelin Ferrell – Unfortunately, Ferrell missed the bulk of his senior season with a torn ACL, but he was still a great pickup for the Tigers out of the talent-laden Richmond, Virginia area. Few that follow recruiting thought that the Tigers could sweep that state’s only two RH Tig five star prospects away from the floundering Virginia Tech program, or under-achieving UVA, but along with Chad Smith, Ferrell was just that, giving Coach Swinney a clean sweep of the truly elite talent in Virginia. The 6’5” Ferrell gives our strength and conditioning staff a lot of frame to work with, and savvy coaches will always tell you how hard it is trying to coach a kid to be taller. Ferrell really reminds me of NASCAR, Olympic skating, and minor league basketball great Will Ferrell, mostly because of his propensity for tallness.
Garrett Williams – Garrett Williams is one of those high character kids that every program wants, shining not only on the field, but in the classroom as well. What a lot of people don’t know is that his recruitment was an incredible package deal for Clemson, netting not only one of the top tight end prospects in the country, but also an elite volleyball player in the person of Williams’ girlfriend, Kennedy Wilson-Talmadge. Kennedy is the obviously much more intelligent younger sister of current Gamecock volleyball player Jordan Wilson-Talmadge. Dabo Swinney not only nets a RH Tig five star prospect for the offense, but also gets a kid that brings his own hot chicks in tight shorty-shorts to campus with him. And that’s a win in my book, every time. Williams reminds me of Willie Dynamite, one of the greatest pimps in cinematic history, and something neat for the youngsters to Google.
Amir Trapp – IT’S A TRAPP! Amir Trapp, to be exact…son of Clemson legend and NFL veteran James Trapp. On the field, Amir Trapp is a like a fierce Rebel Alliance warrior, and a deserving recipient of the coveted RH Tig five star rating as a defensive back. Trapp will actually grayshirt and join the program in January, which means his many contributions to the Clemson football program are looming in the future like a Death Star over Endor. Some recruiting analysts have questioned his height, but Trapp is a cunning tactician on the field, and reminds me of a young Admiral Ackbar.
Austin Spence – Spence is the younger brother of 2014 kicker signee Alex Spence, and five star RH Tig Preferred Walk-On at the long snapper position. A brilliant showing on the summer long snapper camp circuit was enough to prove to doubters that Spence was worthy of the offer from the Clemson staff, and he readily accepted the opportunity to become the next all time great at what is quickly becoming known across the country as ‘Long Snapper U’. The coaching staff is confident that Austin is the right man to handle his brother’s balls, and won’t just end up dangling around on the depth chart.
Deon Cain – Cain, an RH Tig five star recruit, is one of the most sought after receiver prospects in the country. Even though he repeatedly made the statement that he’s 500% committed to Clemson, this did not stop elite programs such as Florida from trying to flip him. Florida reportedly offered Cain such enticements as a personal Gatorade kegerator for his dorm room, a Tim Tebow autographed Bible, permission to read Urban Myers’ sealed medical records, and even the use of Steve Spurrier’s Heisman Trophy to use as a bookend for his textbooks. Obviously, that was not enough to keep Cain from signing with the Clemson. As tempting as the Florida offer was, in the end, Cain felt like Clemson’s offensive plans of actually having a quarterback throw a ball to a receiver was a much better fit for his skill set.
Tanner Muse – Muse is the prototype ‘big safety’ that possesses incredible athleticism, elite speed, a headhunter’s instinct, and Soap Opera heartthrob looks. The Clemson coaching staff has been guilty of having some gap years in terms of bringing in those players with the Hollywood faces. Dabo Swinney hasn’t really lived up to the Bowden years that produced such stellar talents as Tribble Reese, although it can be argued that the jury is still out on Cole Stoudt’s hair. Muse was a huge pickup for the Clemson program, and the hope is that he has the chops to go beyond pedestrian reality TV shows, should football not work out at the next level, of course. As an RH Tig five star prospect, Muse should make an early impact for the Tiger defense, and he could potentially see some early success getting some local commercials, or possibly even some modeling work.
Christian Wilkins – Wilkins is a surprising guy. He surprised all of the doubters with a solid performance at the Under Armor All American game. He surprised Ohio State and Penn State by spurning their offers to labor in obscurity for the next 3 to 5 years in the laughable Big 10 conference. He surprised the coaching staff with his commitment to play football at Clemson. He surprised the Tiger faithful who though there was no way Clemson could ever reach as far away geographically as they did to ###### up talent. He surprised the lesser-trusted recruiting pundits who thought that he was not deserving of the meticulously analyzed RH Tig five star rating as a defensive line prospect. And yet, the most surprised people of all will be opposing ball carriers who try to run through or around Wilkins, and end up flatter than an armadillo crossing a Dallas highway at rush hour.
Albert Huggins – Albert Huggins has to be one of the nicest guys you’d ever want to meet. He loves meeting new people, and true to his nickname ‘Huggy Bear’, he just loves to hug people. He loves hugging ball carriers until they turn blue from lack of oxygen. He loves hugging them until the bleed from their ears. He loves hugging them until their arms go numb and they look like epileptic penguins flopping around on the tundra. Especially if they’re carrying a football. Huggins is a powerful defensive tackle prospect that plays like a rhinoceros on the field. A rhinoceros driving a bulldozer. On the deck of a battleship. Powered by Saturn V rocket engines. But most importantly, he’s an RH Tig five star prospect, which should tell you just how elite and special he is as a player.
Austin Bryant – Bryant is a speedy defensive end prospect from Thomasville, GA, as well being an RH Tig five star prospect. Bryant was also a unanimous first team selection to highly prestigious Players Named After Cities In Texas All American Team. This was an enormous pickup for the Tigers, as many recruiting services had Clemson pegged as a program that might have to settle for a ‘Dallas’ or a ‘Houston’. Even though Bryant missed a few games at the end of the season with a broken foot, the coaching staff loves all of his intangibles, including the fact that he proudly wears floppy sun hats. It’s a rare thing to see these days, as younger players tend to eschew floppy sun hats, but Bryant is that rare jewel that sees the value of blocking ultraviolet radiation, one of the sure signs of already being a well-coached prospect.
And, since they actually signed today, c&p from last year's round up...
J.D./Judah Davis
The Davis twins are legacy sons of Clemson football legend and current assistant athletic director Jeff Davis. They are both ranked as RH Tig Five Star Grayshirt Prospects, and will both enroll in January 2015, after spending next season on the Tri-County Technical College football team. I firmly believe that we’ll see similar production on the field comparable to the last time that Clemson had a set of high profile twins in Peter and Andy Ford. The Davis twins remind me of Zan and Jayna, also known as the Wonder Twins. WONDER TWIN POWERS ACTIVATE…FORM OF A FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN LINEBACKER!!!
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