SUNDAY night update on Venables, Elliott & several 4-star Recruits
By: Larry Williams & Paul Strelow
So at this point it's been a wild day with no final resolution on the three fronts that are consuming the minds of everyone in Clemson right now:
The defensive coordinator, the offensive coordinator and the athletics director.
Everything remains status quo right now with Brent Venables and Oklahoma: His departure for the Sooners is highly likely but not official.
Oklahoma's representatives flew to the Upstate on Sunday afternoon to meet with Venables, and athletics director Joe Castiglione is hoping to finalize a deal with the man who spent 13 years in Norman working for Bob Stoops.
Our sources believe a final word on this could come as early as tonight, and if indeed he takes the job he'll be introduced as the Sooners coach as early as tomorrow.
As we reported earlier, Tony Elliott met with Duke representatives today and we're told the talks lasted close to three hours at Elliott's home in Seneca. Athletics director Nina King and Art Chase, senior associate director of athletics for external affairs, flew to the area to visit with Elliott. In addition, we are told that Elliott's agent was present during this three-hour meeting.
Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott just wrapped up a very busy day. He may soon have a decision to make. (US Presswire)
Elliott also remains in conversations with Virginia about its head-coaching vacancy. Though there is some fan and donor sentiment in Charlottesville for alum Anthony Poindexter, a current Penn State defensive assistant, we aren't convinced that sentiment is so strong as to eliminate Elliott from consideration. Bottom line, it feels Elliott is still very much in play for both jobs.
As for Dan Radakovich, esteemed college football writer Ross Dellenger reported today that Oregon coach Mario Cristobal has a deadline of midday Monday to accept the Miami head-coaching job, and that if he declines, Manny Diaz will be retained. Dellenger also reported that Miami's final decision on the AD job will be made after the coach situation is resolved.
We believe Dellenger's reporting to be accurate, based on conversations with our sources. Radakovich is believed to be the top candidate for a job that could more than double the $1.2 million salary he is receiving at Clemson.
So to sum up our feel for the resolution timeline of these three major events: Venables probably quickly and as early as tonight, and the other two as early as Monday.
We'll certainly keep our subscribers posted on anything more that we hear. -- LARRY WILLIAMS
Should either of Clemson's coordinators be formally hired in the coming hours or days, we will of course solicit reaction from Clemson's commitments and recruiting targets.
But we did want to go ahead and drop a couple of nuggets in that regard.
We spoke with a contact earlier today around East St. Louis (Ill.) four-star cornerback commitment Toriano Pride.
Defensive coordinator Brent Venables went in-home with Pride, along with corners coach Mike Reed, on the staff's first full day out on the road this past week.
As we've alluded, the prospect of the Oklahoma job was broached by various parties during the in-home visit, and our sense from the Pride camp was they felt Venables had given them a genuine answer.
From what we were told this afternoon, Pride will be going to Clemson even if Venables accepts the Sooners job, as circumstances stand.
Our feedback holds that most of the Tigers' commitments should stick.
There haven't been discussions around Hays (Kan.) four-star linebacker Jaren Kanak about what happens if Venables departs; Kanak, as we've framed, is the commitment most directly tied to him.
Yet Dabo Swinney's in-home last week likewise could be interpreted as a preemptive strike, and we are told Kanak is still working under the plan to matriculate to Clemson.
We're still gathering intel on Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith four-star safety Sherrod Covil and Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star corner Daylen Everette.
That's not to say either has expressed or demonstrated interest in considering other options. Only that those two might account for the ones most worth keeping an eye on. -- PAUL STRELOW
From THE TIGER FAN SHOP: Happy Holidays! Click HERE for more marked-down officially-licensed CLEMSON gear!
By: Larry Williams & Paul Strelow
So at this point it's been a wild day with no final resolution on the three fronts that are consuming the minds of everyone in Clemson right now:
The defensive coordinator, the offensive coordinator and the athletics director.
Everything remains status quo right now with Brent Venables and Oklahoma: His departure for the Sooners is highly likely but not official.
Oklahoma's representatives flew to the Upstate on Sunday afternoon to meet with Venables, and athletics director Joe Castiglione is hoping to finalize a deal with the man who spent 13 years in Norman working for Bob Stoops.
Our sources believe a final word on this could come as early as tonight, and if indeed he takes the job he'll be introduced as the Sooners coach as early as tomorrow.
As we reported earlier, Tony Elliott met with Duke representatives today and we're told the talks lasted close to three hours at Elliott's home in Seneca. Athletics director Nina King and Art Chase, senior associate director of athletics for external affairs, flew to the area to visit with Elliott. In addition, we are told that Elliott's agent was present during this three-hour meeting.
Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott just wrapped up a very busy day. He may soon have a decision to make. (US Presswire)
Elliott also remains in conversations with Virginia about its head-coaching vacancy. Though there is some fan and donor sentiment in Charlottesville for alum Anthony Poindexter, a current Penn State defensive assistant, we aren't convinced that sentiment is so strong as to eliminate Elliott from consideration. Bottom line, it feels Elliott is still very much in play for both jobs.
As for Dan Radakovich, esteemed college football writer Ross Dellenger reported today that Oregon coach Mario Cristobal has a deadline of midday Monday to accept the Miami head-coaching job, and that if he declines, Manny Diaz will be retained. Dellenger also reported that Miami's final decision on the AD job will be made after the coach situation is resolved.
We believe Dellenger's reporting to be accurate, based on conversations with our sources. Radakovich is believed to be the top candidate for a job that could more than double the $1.2 million salary he is receiving at Clemson.
So to sum up our feel for the resolution timeline of these three major events: Venables probably quickly and as early as tonight, and the other two as early as Monday.
We'll certainly keep our subscribers posted on anything more that we hear. -- LARRY WILLIAMS
Should either of Clemson's coordinators be formally hired in the coming hours or days, we will of course solicit reaction from Clemson's commitments and recruiting targets.
But we did want to go ahead and drop a couple of nuggets in that regard.
We spoke with a contact earlier today around East St. Louis (Ill.) four-star cornerback commitment Toriano Pride.
Defensive coordinator Brent Venables went in-home with Pride, along with corners coach Mike Reed, on the staff's first full day out on the road this past week.
As we've alluded, the prospect of the Oklahoma job was broached by various parties during the in-home visit, and our sense from the Pride camp was they felt Venables had given them a genuine answer.
From what we were told this afternoon, Pride will be going to Clemson even if Venables accepts the Sooners job, as circumstances stand.
Our feedback holds that most of the Tigers' commitments should stick.
There haven't been discussions around Hays (Kan.) four-star linebacker Jaren Kanak about what happens if Venables departs; Kanak, as we've framed, is the commitment most directly tied to him.
Yet Dabo Swinney's in-home last week likewise could be interpreted as a preemptive strike, and we are told Kanak is still working under the plan to matriculate to Clemson.
We're still gathering intel on Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith four-star safety Sherrod Covil and Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star corner Daylen Everette.
That's not to say either has expressed or demonstrated interest in considering other options. Only that those two might account for the ones most worth keeping an eye on. -- PAUL STRELOW
From THE TIGER FAN SHOP: Happy Holidays! Click HERE for more marked-down officially-licensed CLEMSON gear!
