THE ONE AND ONLY 2018 RH TIG FINAL RECRUITING WRAP-UP

Feb 8, 2018, 8:33 AM

Here we go with the 2018 edition of The RH Tig Recruiting Wrap-Up! I know many of you wanted to see a standalone wrap-up for the early signing period, but due to rising printing costs and the Croatian ink embargo, this just was not possible. Plus, there's the fact that if you issue a wrap-up and you're not really wrapped up, then you can't really call it a wrap-up until it actually IS wrapped up, and it's not wrapped up until the February signing period wraps things up. I hope this wraps up why we're only publishing one wrap-up.

With that in mind, let's look at the class of 2018! The Clemson coaching staff should be very excited to have the number one ranked recruiting class in the RH Tig Recruiting Class Rankings for the EIGHTH consecutive year. Due to the incredible accuracy and precision of these rankings, it should also ease fan worries about being ranked as the 16th best class by the laughably defective TheProdigal Recruiting Ranking Poll behind 14 SEC teams and UCF. On the strength of the Early Signing Period alone, the Tigers managed to collect 7 of the top 10 players in the nation (8 of the top 10 after the February signing date) and ending up the 2018 cycle with the number one ranked player in six different states, even according to lesser-known and less accurate recruiting services like Rivals, Scout, and ESPN. I know that many fans were a little nervous with how the class would shake out this year, given the fact that it has literally been OVER A YEAR since Clemson has been in the championship game, but finishing a lowly 4th in the final polls did not deter 2018 recruits from choosing the Tigers. Let's take a look at the incoming players for 2018...

Trevor Lawrence
Hailing from Cartersville, GA, Lawrence is the number one ranked player in the nation according to America's premier recruiting service RH Tig Sports, and the only RH Tig 7 star prospect in the history of college football recruiting.This was one of the hardest fought recruiting battles waged by our coaching staff, with Clemson holding off and prevailing over the NFL in the end. With the football IQ of Tom Brady, the cannon-like arm of Dan Marino, and the resplendent long, flowing locks of Charlie Whitehurst, Lawrence is a can't miss prospect that seems as if he was built to specifications in a secret Russian football laboratory deep in the Siberian wilderness. Contrary to what many fans believe, Trevor Lawrence is not related to current Clemson All-American Dexter Lawrence. Nor is he related to famous actress Jennifer Lawrence, although they do have similar hairstyles.

Xavier Thomas
Originally from Florence, SC by way of prestigious football factory IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, Thomas is a rare RH Tig 6 star prospect at the defensive end position. Proving to be all but unstoppable against the best competition in the country at the U.S. Army All American Bowl all star game, Thomas showed why he is the number 2 ranked player nationally regardless of position according to RH Tig Sports, and the number one player in the talent-rich state of Florida. Already physically ready for division I football, Thomas is the kind of beast that the Japanese fear will one day rise out of the ocean and destroy their tiny island nation. Although he did grow up a South Carolina Gamecock fan, in the end he decided that it was in his best interest not to go there, and to attend college instead.

KJ Henry
Hailing from Clemmons, NC, Henry is an RH Tig 5 star defensive end prospect and of course the number 1 ranked player in the state of North Carolina and number 3 ranked player in America according to RH Tig Sports. Already possessing the physical attributes needed to contribute as a true freshman, Henry has proven to be a fundamentally sound and dominant physical force competing against elite competition at Nike's The Opening and at the Under Armour All American game. Henry also fills a huge need for the Tigers, as the sheer embarrassment of allowing Clemson basketball to recruit a KJ long before Clemson football was able to is something that has caused Dabo Swinney many a sleepless night. All though Henry did not make his announcement until early signing day, most felt all along that he was a lock for the Tigers, mainly because of how close Clemmons and Clemson sound when you say them out loud.

Jackson Carman
Universally acknowledged as the top high school prospect in Ohio, Carman is an enormous offensive lineman that garners an RH Tig 5 star rating, and is considered to be the number 4 player in the nation regardless of position by RH Tig Sports. Already skilled at run blocking, pass protection, and Twitter trolling, it is thought that Carman could earn a starting slot on the offensive line and serve as the much-needed replacement for Ben Boulware's social media trolling skills that the Tigers desperately missed during the 2017 campaign. Quite possibly the most sought after line prospect in this 2018 cycle, Carman eschewed a long list of blue-blood programs, as well as Ohio State to sign with the Tigers.

Derion Kendrick
Hailing the mystical land of Rock Hill, SC, which is also known as Football City USA, Kendrick is an RH Tig 5 star wide receiver prospect, and the number 5 player in the nation regardless of position by RH Tig Sports. Like all football players from Rock Hill, Kendrick is an incredible athletic specimen. Yet unlike so many prospects from Rock Hill in the recent past, Kendrick possesses both the high character and incredible intellect that immediately made him ineligible to continue the Rock Hill talent pipeline to Columbia, SC. Of course, the downside of signing any Rock Hill player is that you only get them for three years before they are drafted by the NFL and become guaranteed millionaires and All Pro stars.

Justyn Ross
There's no dancing around the fact that Nick Saban desperately needed Ross, who is the number 1 ranked player in the state of Alabama. Ross is an RH Tig 5 star wide receiver, as well as the number 6 player in the nation regardless of position. Once again, the Clemson staff worked its magic Gangnam style and pulled Ross away from both the recruiting machine that is the Crimson Tide, and the money machine of the Auburn bag men. Obviously, Nick Saban thought he could simply tap dance his way into Ross' heart, but the Clemson coaches were able to Electric Slide right out with a signature on the letter of intent, leaving Saban with an achy breaky heart. Ross has all the tools to waltz into immediate playing time with the early departure of key members of the Tigers receiving corps, and if he can hustle to learn the playbook, he may be able to bump some upperclassmen down the depth chart. Ross says he plans to stay in shape by working out at YMCA until enrolling this summer.

Kyler McMichael
Have you ever opened a box with a new product you just bought that was sandwiched in between two large hunks of Styrofoam, and then you look down at your hands and realize that tiny shards of the Styrofoam are stuck to your hands, and no matter how much you shake your hands, they still stick to you? And, if you wipe your hands on your pants or shirt, the tiny white specs just move around but you still can't get them off of you? Well, that's exactly what McMichael's coverage skills as a defensive back prospect remind me of. A 5 star RH Tig signee and the number 7 ranked player in the nation regardless of position by RH Tig Sports, McMichael is also the lone Scottish prospect that Coach Dabo Swinney managed to reel in this year.

Josh Belk
Contrary to popular internet sports message board poster opinions, Josh Belk is not related to the Belk family known as purveyors of fine retail clothing and secondary level bowl games. Still, one could argue that during the 2018 college football season, he will most certainly be exquisitely adorned in elegant robes of orange, purple, and white. Belk is a 5 star RH Tig defensive tackle prospect hailing from the wonderfully quaint Chester County village of Richburg, SC. Coming from a small IA high school, Belk might have been considered one of the lesser known players at the US Army All American Bowl, but finished the year ranked as the number 8 player in the nation and number 1 player in Chester County regardless of position by RH Tig Sports.

Justin Mascoll
Mascoll is an RH Tig 5 star prospect at the defensive end position from Snellville, Georgia powerhouse South Gwinnett High School. Possessing incredible athleticism and the wingspan of a wandering albatross, Mascoll will need to put on some quality weight once he gets to Clemson, but he'll arrive on campus already fundamentally sound and with a very high upside, and could potentially work himself into immediate playing time in an already absurdly deep defensive line rotation. With some hard work and intense study of the defensive playbook, most think Mascoll has all of the tools necessary for him to displace 2004 American Idol runner-up Diana DeGarmo as the most famous person from Snellville, GA.

Lyn-J Dixon
Dixon was a late surprise for Clemson on early signing day, as Tiger fans that follow recruiting felt certain that Dabo Swinney was once again going to get shut out from reeling in a Hyphenated First Name All American. Ranked as an RH Tig 5 star prospect as an all purpose back, Lyn-J actually decommitted from Tennessee after the Vols horrifically embarrassing loss to the perennial underachieving South Carolina Gamecock program, and chose the Tigers citing the chance to play at a major college football program, and the opportunity to earn a college degree instead of the equivalent of a GED.

Mike Jones Jr.
The son of former NC State and NFL defensive lineman Mike Jones, Sr., Mike Jones, Jr. is an RH Tig 5 star signee at the linebacker position. Jones Jr. is one of Clemson's two signees from the highly lauded IMG football program in Bradenton, Florida. Originally from Lebanon, Tennessee, Jones decided he needed to get out of Middle Eastern Tennessee for a more stable political environment, although he says that he does miss things like hummus and baba ganoush from his native land. As the very first Clemson commitment in the 2018 cycle, Jones Jr. has been a Clemson fan ever since Junior high school, and says his goals are to get his degree, get drafted to the NFL, and get married and raise a Mike Jones III.

Darnell Jeffries
Definitely one of the most interesting signees of the 2018 cycle, Darnell 'Big Baby' Jeffries earned both an RH Tig 5 star designation, and was a first team selection to the RH Tig Apparel Entrepreneur All American team on the strength of his incredible athleticism, and his emerging bigbaby90.com clothing line. Another player undervalued by the more inconsequential recruiting services, Jeffries may need to add a few additional pounds once on campus but has a very high upside with both his exceptional athletic skill and high football IQ. This was a huge pickup for the Tigers, who battled Georgia down to the wire for Jeffries' services. In the end, Big Baby just felt as if he wasn't going to be able to contribute significantly to Georgia's long-standing tradition of petty crime among Bulldog players, and opted to sign instead with Clemson.

Jordan McFadden
McFadden is one of those rare finds that only the most comprehensive recruiting services like RH Tig Sports manage to uncover each year. McFadden is severely undervalued as a 3 star prospect by most of the less significant recruiting services, and that is most likely because McFadden comes from Dorman High School in Spartanburg, where evaluators from the lesser services were too scared to go and watch him play in person since it's common knowledge that getting murdered in Spartanburg is usually slightly more than a 50/50 proposition. McFadden ends up the season as an RH Tig 5 star prospect, and a first team selection to the Still Alive In Spartanburg All American Team. Originally committed to Virginia Tech, and a lineman that the Hokies wanted very badly, McFadden has shown fantastic athleticism throughout his career both on the football field, and off the field by managing to not get murdered in Spartanburg.

Jake Venables
Jake Venables is an RH Tig 5 star linebacker prospect, and a first team selection on the elite RH Tig Redhead All American team. Venables is an outstanding high football IQ player, as his father is actually a college football coach. His high school coach says that while he is a very fundamentally sound player, he does tend to get really excited when he's on the sidelines, and the other players have to keep pulling him back so the team doesn't get a penalty. This is something that his defensive coordinator should be able to help him overcome once he gets to the college level.

BT Potter
Potter is a 5 star RH Tig prospect as a kicker, and the number 1 ranked high school kicker in the nation by RH Tig Sports. Another can't-miss practically NFL-ready product of Rock Hill, SC, Potter was quite a weapon for his South Pointe Stallions team, hitting an incredible 108 of 117 kickoff attempts into the end zone for touchbacks this past season. Probably not related to Colonel Sherman T. Potter, he was selected to play in the US Army All American game and this kid definitely has a Howitzer for a leg. Chances are slim that he is related to Harry Potter as well, but BT Potter could easily be considered a wizard as he literally makes magic happen with his foot. The jury is still out on whether or not he is related to Grace Potter, but his signing with Clemson was music to the ears of Tiger fans.

Braden Galloway
Galloway was a must-get player for the Clemson coaching staff during the 2018 cycle, as the team was in dire need of a player from Seneca, SC so that knows how to find the Time Drive In, even if blindfolded during a total solar eclipse. There is little doubt that the Syracuse and Alabama anomalies during the 2017 season were a direct result of the Clemson team not getting their gravy fries in a timely and efficient manner. You can bet your bottom dollar that Alabama and Georgia both had quick and efficient access to gravy fries throughout the duration of the college football playoffs. Of course, it does help that Galloway is a supremely talented athlete, which is why he ended the 2018 recruiting cycle as an RH Tig 5 star tight end prospect, as well as being ranked as the consensus number 1 overall player from Seneca regardless of position by nearly every one of the national recruiting services.

Mario Goodrich
Hailing from Lee's Summit, Missouri, Goodrich is an RH Tig 5 star prospect as a defensive back, and displays the versatility to play the corner, safety, and nickel positions for the Tigers. The Clemson staff got involved very late in the process on Goodrich, and were very lucky to reel in this first team IndyCar-Sounding Name All American. Goodrich's film shows he has that extra gear, and he's definitely a high motor guy. He displays the ability to tightly draft receivers and the acceleration to race to the finish line and defend passes without getting gassed. It's well known that Coach Swinney has an undying love of modern jazz, so Dabo feels like he doubled up on a player that was so highly ranked by RH Tig Sports yet also shares the same hometown as jazz legend Pat Metheny.

Ben Batson
Signing with the Tigers as a preferred walk on, the amazingly strong Batson was quite a steal for Clemson as an RH Tig 5 star prospect and Clemson's second first team selection on the elite RH Tig Redhead All American team for the 2018 cycle. The Clemson staff loves Batson's toughness, as evidenced by his transfer from Daniel High School to Dorman in Spartanburg, and managing not to get murdered there. He is also noted for his incredible strength, and really loves being in the weight room. Batson could have certainly earned a full scholarship at almost any of the blue-blood programs of his choosing, but opted to walk on at Clemson, citing Clemson's incredible strength and conditioning program as his primary motivation for signing with the Tigers.

Drew Swinney
The son of a major college football coach and an RH Tig 5 star prospect, Drew Swinney was a must-get target for the Clemson staff as he fills a need with receiver depth, and goes a long way towards keeping Kathleen Swinney happy. As a noted fashion maven about town, Kathleen really did not want to have to wear one of those stupid two-team sweatshirts made popular in the 90s by Ann Bowden, wife of former long-time FSU coach Bobby Bowden.

Carson Donnelly
Donnelly comes to Clemson as an RH Tig 5 star safety prospect. A heady player with sound fundamentals, he's known for his exceptional leadership on and off the field. Donnelly is truly one of those high football IQ guys, and a real gym rat. His passion for the game is evident in his gritty style of play. He's a gamer that plays the game the right way, and always out-hustles his competition. Donnelly has proven to be a real lunch-pail type guy that always gets the most out of his abilities. A real grinder with deceptive speed, he's the kind of guy you'd love for your daughter to date.

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THE ONE AND ONLY 2018 RH TIG FINAL RECRUITING WRAP-UP

tl;dr

TL;DR at least not all of it

You two people are actually playing with your lives.

They just don't want to admit that they haven't...

WHAT IN GOD'S NAME COULD YOU HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE

It's like, we need to give lessons in fundamentals here.***

excellent stuff -- one question though

It does have a stop light.

By far your finest effort RH! Well worth the wait!

Eggsellent riteup, RH. Could you kindly provide a timeline

Re: THE ONE AND ONLY 2018 RH TIG FINAL RECRUITING WRAP-UP

WHAT IN GOD'S NAME COULD YOU HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE

Maybe I like to read it more than once and read it

Oh, sorry. GREAT IDEA AERO, SHOULD BE A NEW REQUIREMENT***

I'd like to make a suggestion, if you'll allow me.

Is that REALLY Ving Rhames?***

MOTHERLOVER, IT IS HIM.***

Re: THE ONE AND ONLY 2018 RH TIG FINAL RECRUITING WRAP-UP

for the evening shat

Gets better every year***

How do you

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