Say it again...I like the guys we have

Jul 28, 2018, 2:14 PM

I keep going over Clemson's recruiting class...and I keep thinking they look exactly like what Dabo has always gotten.

We're thin on numbers at OL, and we could use another - preferably two - DT's since Belk defected. Be nice to land another big CB like Booth. Other than that...sorry, it's just really, really hard to freak on any of these guys.

We got the #1 duel-threat in the country in Taison Phommachanh. Again. He's pretty much the perfect signing - top-drawer physical tools, probably needs a year to redshirt and develop because of his competition level. A+ commit, hard to do any better (there isn't anybody better this year!) especially the year after signing Lawrence.

We have the kind of WR's we always get - an elite 9-man (or even 2-man!) in Frank Ladson, a Renfrow 5-slot clone in Brannon Spector. Ngata would likely project as a 2 or 9 as well and give us yet another full set of elite dudes. We have two really nice-looking TE prospects in Lay and Allen. If Ngata commits, it's another A+ year for us at WR/TE.

RB, I really like Chez Mellusi. Another north-south slasher who reminds me more than a little of Wayne Gallman, an upright dude who reads his hole, runs angry, and is through the tackles in about two steps. Would like another guy if possible but this guy can play. Grade: at least a solid "B".

OL, as everyone has mentioned, is a concern. Rayburn looks solid if not spectacular. Could REALLY use Webb, definitely need some quality numbers here. We still have 5 months to find them, though.

DL, we have three great takes. Tayquon Johnson was a steal, looks like a typical Clemson DT. Ruke Orhorhoro is a 3-star raw project DT/DE tweener with 6-star upside; he could be nothing, he could be a #1 overall pick one day. Good roll of the dice there; Michigan really wanted him. Logan Cash reminds me strongly of Shaq Lawson...a bit shorter than you'd like, but absolutely relentless. Like the dude a lot. We definitely need to find at least one more DT but we've definitely got three guys who were clear-and-obvious offer-worthy takes.

LB, we have four commits. I'm just so-so on Keith Maguire but he does look like at least a poor man's Dorian O'Daniel so we've got a clear idea of how exactly we're going to use him. He does appear to have the skillset to fit well in our D. Greg Williams is a camp kid we laid eyes on for an extended period of time; if Venables had to have him, Venables clearly saw something. Constantin is an elite prospect we noticed first (that happens a lot) and LaVonta Bentley is a guy who could have written his ticket to just about anywhere, up to and including Alabama. All things being equal, looks great to me.

DB, we have three guys who look like safeties (Charleston, Thornton, Zannders) and they look like what we've been recruiting ever since Venables has been here: long, rangy, obvious centerfielder cover skills. Sheridan Jones looks like yet another of those big-tall-long press CB's we've been doing so well with; he's another guy everybody would have taken. We need another CB - preferably Booth - but so far, so good. At least a B+ thus far, will jump to a solid "A" if we land Booth.

Aidan Swanson is the top-rated K in the country. Hard to do better than that.

So: we need OL. We need another DT. Would really be great to land Booth at CB. Another RB would be a plus, but only if he's a truly elite take.

After that...hard to see us doing much better, you know? The talent's plainly there...after that, it's how they develop and progress and gel as a team...and we do that better than anybody, yeah?

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