MONDAY INSIDER
By: Paul Strelow
1. As far as the recruiting calendar goes, we’ve essentially hit the two-minute warning on this cycle.
The NCAA’s fall evaluation period concluded Saturday. From September through November, staffs can essentially go watch a prospect play one Friday night.
Now the reset button has been pushed, as the NCAA’s contact period began Sunday.
From henceforth until almost right up to the Feb. 5 National Signing Day – with a one-month break for the early signing period and Christmas – coaches can go by a school once a week.
Thus most college staffs hit the road recruiting today – except for the ones who instead have to prepare for another game on conference championship this weekend.
Which, as you know, has become standard operating procedure for Clemson.
College coaches will be in a frenzy over these next two weeks, conducting in-home visits with their remaining targets as well as the commitments they expect to lock in during the early signing period.
The onset of the contact period affords staffs the luxury to take in remaining high school playoff contests Friday or, in other cases, a prospect’s high school basketball game.
Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. ACC Championship kickoff Saturday in Charlotte gives the Tigers the convenience to do so.
We expect Clemson to send staffers on the road late in the week after on-campus preparations have concluded.
The early signing period starts Dec. 18.
The countdown is underway.
2. Of course, the spotlight fell this weekend on the one remaining mutual instate target.
Jordan Burch won't sign on the first signing day, but will wait 24 hours later.
Columbia (S.C.) Hammond School five-star defensive end Jordan Burch was on hand with several teammates for Clemson’s 38-3 rivalry ransacking, using an unofficial visit on his backyard suitor less than three weeks before his announcement.
We know that a lot of fans might conclude that it should only benefit Clemson for Burch (6-5, 265), ranked No. 4 nationally by Rivals.com, to have witnessed the lopsided outcome and what we’ve heard described as an apathetic environment firsthand.
Our opinion is while it technically couldn’t have hurt, we’re more inclined to suggest it likely didn’t move the scale at all.
It’s not as if dynamics the Burch camp have been assessing changed to any degree.
In other words, he and his mother already had plenty of evidence projecting Clemson to be the decidedly superior team. If South Carolina is in contention, it’s because of relationships with Will Muschamp and others around the program – and the university pulled every stop last week to try and curtail the recruiting bleeding by planting its flag with Muschamp, come hell or (Tee) Higgins.
The answers we and his suitors still await are these: 1) What are the factors upon which the decision will be made? 2) Who will have the leading voice in the decision?
We’ve long been told by those with some insight into Burch’s thinking that he has talked about playing for a winner. Yet there’s legit reason to question whether that will even matter.
People around have also maintained that proximity would be imperative, although our sense is that tied to him is not going far from his mother and her still having family in the Florence area.
LSU drew Burch’s first official visit in October, then he took his Alabama official in conjunction with its loss to LSU – after which LSU coaches prompted players to go make a scene in front of Burch at the Bama recruiting section.
But that’s been it as far as official visits, and the fact Burch has three official visits left and two weekends to take them as an uncommitted prospect lends credence to speculation he might not take one to either instate program because of his familiarity with both.
While LSU boasts confidence, South Carolina’s stack of unofficial visits amounts to the strongest evidence in anyone’s corner. We’ve shouted from the get-go that conventional wisdom and logic shouldn’t be applied to reading the Burch tea leaves, and the increasing confidence from the Gamecocks’ side reinforces why this trail has been unorthodox to follow.
Per our intel, we have learned that the Burch camp has streamlined communication to further tighten the reins and control which voices get in, and when.
We gathered last week that there are multiple coaching staffs involved who feel Clemson is out of contention.
While the lack of visits and the increasing smoke from other circles don’t add up in their favor, we would also tell you that, per multiple sources, the Tigers do not believe they are out.
It’s Dabo versus the world on College Football Playoffs ranking as well the Burch recruitment, evidently.
Burch plans to announce his destination Dec. 19 on the second day of the early signing period.
3. One of the other targets with whom time could be of the essence is Miami (Fla.) Columbus four-star Xzavier Henderson.
Henderson (6-3, 185), ranked No. 116 in the country, picked up a Clemson offer last January, and we believed the Tigers to be in the best shape coming off his Dabo Swinney Camp appearance in June.
But somewhat like Burch, the intent has always been for the wheels to go slowly and carry out his recruitment till the end.
A lot can and has happened during that span, with the winds on both sides of the equation changing direction since.
Henderson went on official visits to Alabama and Georgia this fall.
His most important trip to date, though, came this past weekend as he took his official visit to Florida.
Henderson made a handful of trips to Gainesville this season as his brother, C.J., is a junior starting cornerback for the Gators. Our info indicates that Florida has developed a good relationship as a result, but it’s no given he follows in his brother’s footsteps.
We have carefully and consistently expressed that Henderson has been penciled in for an official visit to Clemson next week.
Xzavier Henderson is shown here at the Dabo Swinney Camp in June. (Tigerillustrated.com)
Our report on Clemson receiver recruiting Saturday night was designed to trace over those words to finally darken the print.
Here’s where we dust off our line about the Tigers doing their best work behind the scenes.
Because they still have plenty of work to do, to be abundantly clear. But the important intimation here is, there’s still work being done.
Henderson reiterated to GatorsTerritory.com that he is unsure when he will sign, but he still plans to announce his decision at the Jan. 4 All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.
Our understanding is that Florida has viewed Alabama as the chief threat with Henderson.
That’s about to change.
We will also note that his official visit itinerary is in the process of being modified.
Henderson had planned to arrive Dec. 13, but his team has advanced to a state championship game that night against Apopka in Daytona, Fla.
4. The other high-profile receiver in the Clemson conversation has been Lakeland (Fla.) four-star receiver Arian Smith.
Smith (6-1, 180), ranked No. 152 overall, landed a Clemson offer in September and subsequently traveled for an unofficial visit.
We characterized the Tigers as having shifted eggs into the Smith basket, and that was indeed the case. Smith cited Clemson at the top of his list, while UGA, Alabama and Oklahoma have also shuffled places within that top group.
In a social media post Friday night, Smith suggested that UGA, Bama and Florida appeared to be his three finalists. He consequently responded to a question about Clemson’s standing by saying the Tigers were full on the offensive side of the ball.
Clemson owns a commitment from Lakeland (Fla.) five-star running back Demarkcus Bowman, and one of the contributing factors we’ve cited is its outstanding relationships developed through courting various Lakeland prospects through recent years.
So as we confirmed Saturday night, the eggs have shifted baskets again as additional evaluation and intel has been gleaned in recent weeks. We’ll elaborate further when the timing is appropriate, but there’s a tactful way for such a shift to occur as we turn more focus to Henderson in our coverage.
5. So to update, that’s where Clemson stands going down the stretch.
There remain two oversign targets on defense, and the Tigers have defined their course on the offensive side.
How many they score in the early signing period will be among the influences for what’s on the table through January.
While the staff already has a strong idea about potential early NFL Draft departures and maybe additional attrition, unexpected events can occur. Or sometimes you just have to let events play out to see if anticipated events materialize.
There’s also the elephant in the room as to whether coaching carousel dominoes leads to any staff departures that opens the door for a commitment. But we’ll cross that bridge when it finally comes.
We have written about Clemson putting feelers out with defensive backs should a spot come available next month.
Let’s put it like this: If the Tigers knew they would have a vacancy they wanted filled, they would have already turned up the heat on a select target or two.
But should Clemson continue the pattern of looking for a late DB every other cycle, we can tell you the Tigers would place a premium on speed.
Lakeland (Fla.) four-star receiver Arian Smith.
6. Which brings us to the lone senior prospect the Tigers have offered since early in the summer: Jacksonville (Fla.) Bartram Trail high-three star corner Tre’Vez Johnson, a Florida commitment.
Johnson (5-11, 175) cited a Clemson offer little more than two weeks ago, after which his high school’s recruiting coordinator told GatorsTerritory.com that a Clemson visit would be unlikely.
He went as an unofficial visitor to Florida’s rout of Florida State on Saturday, and he is slated to go on his official visit this weekend under the plan to sign this month.
Clemson offered with the understanding the door might be cracked. We’ll see if it has been sealed in response, but we believe that’s the apparent direction it’s headed.
7. Rivals.com is set to roll out its next-to-last rankings update this week, with the final round coming in January after a string of all-star games.
We haven’t been clued in to what we would characterize as major changes related to Clemson.
But we would forewarn about some anticipated movement at the top of the network's board.
There have been several pieces published throughout the fall regarding whether Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco five-star quarterback commitment D.J. Uiagalelei would retain the No. 1 overall spot – in as much because an argument might be made for a couple of other five-star candidates, specifically Damascus (Md.) defensive line commitment Bryan Bresee.
So we’re prepping you for a potential change while likewise recommending to put the pitchforks and torches down. Uiagalelei is still ranked high, and the shine remains on Clemson’s haul.
When you’re in line to nab the current top three in a class – and are in a fight for No. 4 – then we’re talking "first-place" problems.
Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei high-four star Bryce Young got the better of Uiagalelei during their regular-season meeting, and we believe that performance reasonably impacted the latest rankings.
Young, an Alabama commitment, is awfully good – take nothing away from him. But Uiagalelei got the last prep laugh, rallying his team from a 28-5 first-half deficit to beat Mater Dei in their playoff sectional meeting Saturday night.
St. John Bosco was knocked out the previous two years by its rival.
Uiagalelei completed 26 of 41 passes for 444 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions.
He takes on Concord (Calif.) De La Salle in the state championship next week.
8. That could attract a Clemson representative or contingency, although we suspect Swinney may want to be around for an official visit weekend.
We mentioned the staff could be selective in its travels later this week. Here’s a rundown of several commitments and targets still in action:
Phenix City (Ala.) Central four-star receiver commitment E.J. Williams clashes with Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson in Wednesday’s 7A state championship.
Bresee and 2021 four-star center commitment Ryan Linthicum face Linganore in Thursday’s 3A championship at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Then on Friday, Raleigh (N.C.) Leesville Road four-star offensive line commitment Mitchell Mayes plays in the 4AA semis at top-seeded Wake Forest High.
Matthews (N.C.) Weddington 2021 four-star running back offer Will Shipley hosts a 3AA semifinal against Watauga. Suwanee (Ga.) North Gwinnett 2021 four-star linebacker offer Barrett Carter plays host to Lowndes in the 7A semis, while Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley 2022 defensive tackle Travis Shaw has a 4A semifinal against East Forsyth.
On Saturday, Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass four-star offensive tackle commitment Walker Parks and 2021 guard offer Jager Burton take on Covington Catholic for the 5A crown at the University of Kentucky.
Brentwood (Tenn.) Ravenwood 2021 four-star tight end offer Jake Briningstool goes against Maryville on in the 6A championship in Cookeville, Tenn.
South Carolina’s state championships will also be held Saturday in Columbia, but the pickings are slim as far as viable future targets.
9. Speaking of which, we wrote a considerable amount last week about the contrasting approaches Clemson and South Carolina take to instate recruiting as well as the recruiting ramifications – or lack thereof – for Saturday’s outcome.
As such, we’ve framed the 2021 state crop to look like the weakest in the last two decades – although there’s time for new names to surface or perception to change.
Clemson has yet to offer an instate junior, and typically the premium talents in South Carolina have surfaced by this juncture. There are exceptions, of course; tight end Braden Galloway, for example, didn’t catch the Tigers’ eye until the spring after his junior season, although his recruitment stayed relatively low-profile.
The perceived shallowness of the 2021 class has been stamped by South Carolina’s apparent reluctance to sign off on offers to the group as well, considering the Gamecocks have shown to be more liberal in casting a net.
One of the visitors to Saturday’s game who has gotten cursory Clemson interest did add a South Carolina offer while on hand.
Gaffney (S.C.) defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram Dawkins became the third instate junior to pick up a Gamecocks offer.
Dawkins (6-4, 260) visited Clemson for the Charlotte game in September. But that’s been about the extent of the Tigers’ communication to date.
As we’ve mentioned, Clemson's staff has been particularly judicious in its defensive line pursuits so far, with just two defensive end offers and one defensive tackle target under the microscope.
Five-star linebacker and Clemson priority target Justin Flowe is almost ready to come forward with a decision. (Tigerillustrated.com)
10. We close as we have throughout the last month with the obvious name yet to be broached: Upland (Calif.) five-star linebacker Justin Flowe.
Flowe (6-2, 225), ranked No. 3 overall, used his third and final announced official visit this past weekend on Oregon.
Miami kicked off his official visit docket last month, followed by his long-anticipated return to Clemson.
He then cancelled his trip to UGA a week ago; we have opined that to be the one Clemson would not want him to make, and we’ve reported that travel fatigue was cited as Flowe’s reason.
We weren’t sure if Flowe would make Oregon either, but that’s a different animal. You might recall Uiagalelei getting in an official to Oregon before making the public call for Clemson, too.
We have yet to pick up returns on Flowe’s Oregon visit, yet we would highlight this: Flowe has yet to conduct an interview since his Clemson official, and we don’t believe that to be a coincidence. Moreover, the fan buzz was generally disgruntled regarding the Ducks’ 24-10 struggle against Oregon State.
USC is whom our contacts have identified as the Tigers’ primary threat, and the Trojans still have Clay Helton as coach. That’s another feather in Clemson’s cap for a target planning to be a midyear enrollee right around the corner.
The stars continue to align for Clemson to end up with a special class.
Game-week DEALS on officially-licensed CLEMSON apparel. Click HERE!
By: Paul Strelow
1. As far as the recruiting calendar goes, we’ve essentially hit the two-minute warning on this cycle.
The NCAA’s fall evaluation period concluded Saturday. From September through November, staffs can essentially go watch a prospect play one Friday night.
Now the reset button has been pushed, as the NCAA’s contact period began Sunday.
From henceforth until almost right up to the Feb. 5 National Signing Day – with a one-month break for the early signing period and Christmas – coaches can go by a school once a week.
Thus most college staffs hit the road recruiting today – except for the ones who instead have to prepare for another game on conference championship this weekend.
Which, as you know, has become standard operating procedure for Clemson.
College coaches will be in a frenzy over these next two weeks, conducting in-home visits with their remaining targets as well as the commitments they expect to lock in during the early signing period.
The onset of the contact period affords staffs the luxury to take in remaining high school playoff contests Friday or, in other cases, a prospect’s high school basketball game.
Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. ACC Championship kickoff Saturday in Charlotte gives the Tigers the convenience to do so.
We expect Clemson to send staffers on the road late in the week after on-campus preparations have concluded.
The early signing period starts Dec. 18.
The countdown is underway.
2. Of course, the spotlight fell this weekend on the one remaining mutual instate target.
Jordan Burch won't sign on the first signing day, but will wait 24 hours later.
Columbia (S.C.) Hammond School five-star defensive end Jordan Burch was on hand with several teammates for Clemson’s 38-3 rivalry ransacking, using an unofficial visit on his backyard suitor less than three weeks before his announcement.
We know that a lot of fans might conclude that it should only benefit Clemson for Burch (6-5, 265), ranked No. 4 nationally by Rivals.com, to have witnessed the lopsided outcome and what we’ve heard described as an apathetic environment firsthand.
Our opinion is while it technically couldn’t have hurt, we’re more inclined to suggest it likely didn’t move the scale at all.
It’s not as if dynamics the Burch camp have been assessing changed to any degree.
In other words, he and his mother already had plenty of evidence projecting Clemson to be the decidedly superior team. If South Carolina is in contention, it’s because of relationships with Will Muschamp and others around the program – and the university pulled every stop last week to try and curtail the recruiting bleeding by planting its flag with Muschamp, come hell or (Tee) Higgins.
The answers we and his suitors still await are these: 1) What are the factors upon which the decision will be made? 2) Who will have the leading voice in the decision?
We’ve long been told by those with some insight into Burch’s thinking that he has talked about playing for a winner. Yet there’s legit reason to question whether that will even matter.
People around have also maintained that proximity would be imperative, although our sense is that tied to him is not going far from his mother and her still having family in the Florence area.
LSU drew Burch’s first official visit in October, then he took his Alabama official in conjunction with its loss to LSU – after which LSU coaches prompted players to go make a scene in front of Burch at the Bama recruiting section.
But that’s been it as far as official visits, and the fact Burch has three official visits left and two weekends to take them as an uncommitted prospect lends credence to speculation he might not take one to either instate program because of his familiarity with both.
While LSU boasts confidence, South Carolina’s stack of unofficial visits amounts to the strongest evidence in anyone’s corner. We’ve shouted from the get-go that conventional wisdom and logic shouldn’t be applied to reading the Burch tea leaves, and the increasing confidence from the Gamecocks’ side reinforces why this trail has been unorthodox to follow.
Per our intel, we have learned that the Burch camp has streamlined communication to further tighten the reins and control which voices get in, and when.
We gathered last week that there are multiple coaching staffs involved who feel Clemson is out of contention.
While the lack of visits and the increasing smoke from other circles don’t add up in their favor, we would also tell you that, per multiple sources, the Tigers do not believe they are out.
It’s Dabo versus the world on College Football Playoffs ranking as well the Burch recruitment, evidently.
Burch plans to announce his destination Dec. 19 on the second day of the early signing period.
3. One of the other targets with whom time could be of the essence is Miami (Fla.) Columbus four-star Xzavier Henderson.
Henderson (6-3, 185), ranked No. 116 in the country, picked up a Clemson offer last January, and we believed the Tigers to be in the best shape coming off his Dabo Swinney Camp appearance in June.
But somewhat like Burch, the intent has always been for the wheels to go slowly and carry out his recruitment till the end.
A lot can and has happened during that span, with the winds on both sides of the equation changing direction since.
Henderson went on official visits to Alabama and Georgia this fall.
His most important trip to date, though, came this past weekend as he took his official visit to Florida.
Henderson made a handful of trips to Gainesville this season as his brother, C.J., is a junior starting cornerback for the Gators. Our info indicates that Florida has developed a good relationship as a result, but it’s no given he follows in his brother’s footsteps.
We have carefully and consistently expressed that Henderson has been penciled in for an official visit to Clemson next week.
Xzavier Henderson is shown here at the Dabo Swinney Camp in June. (Tigerillustrated.com)
Our report on Clemson receiver recruiting Saturday night was designed to trace over those words to finally darken the print.
Here’s where we dust off our line about the Tigers doing their best work behind the scenes.
Because they still have plenty of work to do, to be abundantly clear. But the important intimation here is, there’s still work being done.
Henderson reiterated to GatorsTerritory.com that he is unsure when he will sign, but he still plans to announce his decision at the Jan. 4 All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.
Our understanding is that Florida has viewed Alabama as the chief threat with Henderson.
That’s about to change.
We will also note that his official visit itinerary is in the process of being modified.
Henderson had planned to arrive Dec. 13, but his team has advanced to a state championship game that night against Apopka in Daytona, Fla.
4. The other high-profile receiver in the Clemson conversation has been Lakeland (Fla.) four-star receiver Arian Smith.
Smith (6-1, 180), ranked No. 152 overall, landed a Clemson offer in September and subsequently traveled for an unofficial visit.
We characterized the Tigers as having shifted eggs into the Smith basket, and that was indeed the case. Smith cited Clemson at the top of his list, while UGA, Alabama and Oklahoma have also shuffled places within that top group.
In a social media post Friday night, Smith suggested that UGA, Bama and Florida appeared to be his three finalists. He consequently responded to a question about Clemson’s standing by saying the Tigers were full on the offensive side of the ball.
Clemson owns a commitment from Lakeland (Fla.) five-star running back Demarkcus Bowman, and one of the contributing factors we’ve cited is its outstanding relationships developed through courting various Lakeland prospects through recent years.
So as we confirmed Saturday night, the eggs have shifted baskets again as additional evaluation and intel has been gleaned in recent weeks. We’ll elaborate further when the timing is appropriate, but there’s a tactful way for such a shift to occur as we turn more focus to Henderson in our coverage.
5. So to update, that’s where Clemson stands going down the stretch.
There remain two oversign targets on defense, and the Tigers have defined their course on the offensive side.
How many they score in the early signing period will be among the influences for what’s on the table through January.
While the staff already has a strong idea about potential early NFL Draft departures and maybe additional attrition, unexpected events can occur. Or sometimes you just have to let events play out to see if anticipated events materialize.
There’s also the elephant in the room as to whether coaching carousel dominoes leads to any staff departures that opens the door for a commitment. But we’ll cross that bridge when it finally comes.
We have written about Clemson putting feelers out with defensive backs should a spot come available next month.
Let’s put it like this: If the Tigers knew they would have a vacancy they wanted filled, they would have already turned up the heat on a select target or two.
But should Clemson continue the pattern of looking for a late DB every other cycle, we can tell you the Tigers would place a premium on speed.
Lakeland (Fla.) four-star receiver Arian Smith.
6. Which brings us to the lone senior prospect the Tigers have offered since early in the summer: Jacksonville (Fla.) Bartram Trail high-three star corner Tre’Vez Johnson, a Florida commitment.
Johnson (5-11, 175) cited a Clemson offer little more than two weeks ago, after which his high school’s recruiting coordinator told GatorsTerritory.com that a Clemson visit would be unlikely.
He went as an unofficial visitor to Florida’s rout of Florida State on Saturday, and he is slated to go on his official visit this weekend under the plan to sign this month.
Clemson offered with the understanding the door might be cracked. We’ll see if it has been sealed in response, but we believe that’s the apparent direction it’s headed.
7. Rivals.com is set to roll out its next-to-last rankings update this week, with the final round coming in January after a string of all-star games.
We haven’t been clued in to what we would characterize as major changes related to Clemson.
But we would forewarn about some anticipated movement at the top of the network's board.
There have been several pieces published throughout the fall regarding whether Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco five-star quarterback commitment D.J. Uiagalelei would retain the No. 1 overall spot – in as much because an argument might be made for a couple of other five-star candidates, specifically Damascus (Md.) defensive line commitment Bryan Bresee.
So we’re prepping you for a potential change while likewise recommending to put the pitchforks and torches down. Uiagalelei is still ranked high, and the shine remains on Clemson’s haul.
When you’re in line to nab the current top three in a class – and are in a fight for No. 4 – then we’re talking "first-place" problems.
Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei high-four star Bryce Young got the better of Uiagalelei during their regular-season meeting, and we believe that performance reasonably impacted the latest rankings.
Young, an Alabama commitment, is awfully good – take nothing away from him. But Uiagalelei got the last prep laugh, rallying his team from a 28-5 first-half deficit to beat Mater Dei in their playoff sectional meeting Saturday night.
St. John Bosco was knocked out the previous two years by its rival.
Uiagalelei completed 26 of 41 passes for 444 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions.
He takes on Concord (Calif.) De La Salle in the state championship next week.
8. That could attract a Clemson representative or contingency, although we suspect Swinney may want to be around for an official visit weekend.
We mentioned the staff could be selective in its travels later this week. Here’s a rundown of several commitments and targets still in action:
Phenix City (Ala.) Central four-star receiver commitment E.J. Williams clashes with Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson in Wednesday’s 7A state championship.
Bresee and 2021 four-star center commitment Ryan Linthicum face Linganore in Thursday’s 3A championship at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Then on Friday, Raleigh (N.C.) Leesville Road four-star offensive line commitment Mitchell Mayes plays in the 4AA semis at top-seeded Wake Forest High.
Matthews (N.C.) Weddington 2021 four-star running back offer Will Shipley hosts a 3AA semifinal against Watauga. Suwanee (Ga.) North Gwinnett 2021 four-star linebacker offer Barrett Carter plays host to Lowndes in the 7A semis, while Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley 2022 defensive tackle Travis Shaw has a 4A semifinal against East Forsyth.
On Saturday, Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass four-star offensive tackle commitment Walker Parks and 2021 guard offer Jager Burton take on Covington Catholic for the 5A crown at the University of Kentucky.
Brentwood (Tenn.) Ravenwood 2021 four-star tight end offer Jake Briningstool goes against Maryville on in the 6A championship in Cookeville, Tenn.
South Carolina’s state championships will also be held Saturday in Columbia, but the pickings are slim as far as viable future targets.
9. Speaking of which, we wrote a considerable amount last week about the contrasting approaches Clemson and South Carolina take to instate recruiting as well as the recruiting ramifications – or lack thereof – for Saturday’s outcome.
As such, we’ve framed the 2021 state crop to look like the weakest in the last two decades – although there’s time for new names to surface or perception to change.
Clemson has yet to offer an instate junior, and typically the premium talents in South Carolina have surfaced by this juncture. There are exceptions, of course; tight end Braden Galloway, for example, didn’t catch the Tigers’ eye until the spring after his junior season, although his recruitment stayed relatively low-profile.
The perceived shallowness of the 2021 class has been stamped by South Carolina’s apparent reluctance to sign off on offers to the group as well, considering the Gamecocks have shown to be more liberal in casting a net.
One of the visitors to Saturday’s game who has gotten cursory Clemson interest did add a South Carolina offer while on hand.
Gaffney (S.C.) defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram Dawkins became the third instate junior to pick up a Gamecocks offer.
Dawkins (6-4, 260) visited Clemson for the Charlotte game in September. But that’s been about the extent of the Tigers’ communication to date.
As we’ve mentioned, Clemson's staff has been particularly judicious in its defensive line pursuits so far, with just two defensive end offers and one defensive tackle target under the microscope.
Five-star linebacker and Clemson priority target Justin Flowe is almost ready to come forward with a decision. (Tigerillustrated.com)
10. We close as we have throughout the last month with the obvious name yet to be broached: Upland (Calif.) five-star linebacker Justin Flowe.
Flowe (6-2, 225), ranked No. 3 overall, used his third and final announced official visit this past weekend on Oregon.
Miami kicked off his official visit docket last month, followed by his long-anticipated return to Clemson.
He then cancelled his trip to UGA a week ago; we have opined that to be the one Clemson would not want him to make, and we’ve reported that travel fatigue was cited as Flowe’s reason.
We weren’t sure if Flowe would make Oregon either, but that’s a different animal. You might recall Uiagalelei getting in an official to Oregon before making the public call for Clemson, too.
We have yet to pick up returns on Flowe’s Oregon visit, yet we would highlight this: Flowe has yet to conduct an interview since his Clemson official, and we don’t believe that to be a coincidence. Moreover, the fan buzz was generally disgruntled regarding the Ducks’ 24-10 struggle against Oregon State.
USC is whom our contacts have identified as the Tigers’ primary threat, and the Trojans still have Clay Helton as coach. That’s another feather in Clemson’s cap for a target planning to be a midyear enrollee right around the corner.
The stars continue to align for Clemson to end up with a special class.
Game-week DEALS on officially-licensed CLEMSON apparel. Click HERE!
