Tigers Add Two Atlanta Area Football Commitments

by Dan Scott - Correspondent - Mon Dec 17 19:13:41 GMT-04:00 2001

ATLANTA - Clemson's football program picked up a pair of commitments Monday, both from the Atlanta area.

Tim Debeer, a 6-foot-6, 270-pound right tackle from Marist School chose the Tigers over Auburn, North Carolina, East Carolina, Duke and Vanderbilt. He is scheduled to visit Clemson on Jan. 11.

Cole Chason, a 6-0, 165-pound punter/kicker from Greater Atlanta Christian School, picked Clemson over Michigan, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Virginia and Wisconsin, among others. He will visit the CU campus on Jan. 18.

Debeer "basically has made himself into a football player," said his high school coach, Alan Chadwick. "If you had told me two years ago that he would be at this point, I wouldn't have believed it. He was slow-footed, and his footwork wasn't very good."

But through work with a personal trainer, Debeer's footwork has improved dramatically. Chadwick estimated Debeer to be 75-80 percent where he needs to be to be a dominant college lineman.

"He still has work to do. He'll redshirt for sure," Chadwick said. "But once he learns the tempo and the system, he'll work hard to fit in. I expect him to be a good one at that level."

Debeer is, by his own admission, a better run blocker than pass blocker at this stage of his career. Marist runs predominantly a wishbone offense, and used the running game to compile a 9-2 record and advance to the second round of the Georgia State 4A Playoffs this fall.

Chadwick said Debeer carries a grade point average of between 3.2-3.3, and scored "1,300 or so on the SAT."

Plus, Chadwick added, Debeer has "a mean streak. He likes to get down and dirty." Debeer also runs 5.0 forty and has an older brother who is a starting offensive lineman at Furman.

Chason expects to come into Clemson's camp and immediately contend for the starting punter spot, then perhaps make a run at the kicking duties. He averaged 45.9 yards per punt this season, and was 6-of-9 on field goal attempts with a long of 47.

Sixty percent of Chason's kickoffs went for a touchback.

TIGER POLL

"I visited Clemson many times and I just felt comfortable there and comfortable with the coaches," Chason said in a recent radio interview. "I really like the academics and the size of the school."

Chason carries a 3.56 GPA and scored 1,000 on his SAT. He may carry out plans to visit Troy State, he said, but that decision remains up in the air.

Chason's coach, Jimmy Chupp, did not return phone messages left with him Monday night.

Both Debeer and Chason were recruited by Ron West.

Reported 2002 Football Commitments

1 LB Cory Groover 6-3 235 Hannah-Pamplico HS

2 LB Brandon Jamison 6-2 220 SW Miss JUCO

3 LB Kelvin Morris 6-3 225 SW Miss JUCO

4 DL Randy Jackson 6-4 275 GA Military JUCO

5 QB Will Proctor 6-3 190 Winter Park, FL

6 LB Anthony Walters 6-3 205 Lake View, SC

7 DE Irvin Brisker 6-7 240 Conyers, GA

8 ATH Gerald McCloud 6-3 185 Jacksonville, FL