Clemson University is not an enigma. They are a small university with a rich history in sports and football is their passion. Coming off of four consecutive 10-win seasons, it is easy to see that the Tigers are a competitive university hanging on the periphery of greatness. The tiny town of approximately 18,000 is located in the southwest corner of South Carolina and offers advantages and challenges in equal proportions. The town of Clemson is totally university based and the streets bleed orange from every direction. On game day people flock from all over the state to fill Memorial Stadium and for over foor years it has a 100.7% capacity {81,500} rating. The tailgate parties I have attended there, are as good as any in college football.
Due to the homey atmosphere on campus, Clemson has a lot to offer a student athlete and their success has had far reaching effects within the Georgia, Florida and Carolina’s recruiting sector. Their representation at the NFL pro level proves they have something special cooking in Death Valley, besides “Howards Rock”. Clemson has more players starting in the NFL ranks than ever before in the Universities history.
The stumbling blocks for Clemson usually come in the form of Gamecocks, Seminoles, Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets. In order for Clemson to reach the next level, it is imperative that they subdue all of the above or continue down a dangerous path. Most teams in Clemson’s predicament are one bad recruiting class away from disaster. As a small university it is imperative that you go beyond your boundaries and recruit against the big boys of college recruiting. Boise State, Michigan State and Wisconsin have proven over time that three and four star athletes hold just as much promise as five star recruits. Unfortunately in the modern scheme of analysis, websites concentrate on a schools success or failure on how it recruits using five star recruits as the measuring stick. Which brings us to the current group of commits coming down the turnpike for the Tigers.
Clemson currently has 22 commits for the 2015 recruiting class. They consist of {2} five star, {9} four star {10} three star and a work in progress for Dabo Sweeney in Amir Trapp a two star with potential. Clemson had some far reaching influence here as they recruited in the following states. Seven from South Carolina, five from Florida which has become an excellent recruiting area for the Tigers over the last four years. Georgia continues by supplying four recruits and North Carolina fills in with three more. Surprisingly Virginia gave up two promising four star athletes who committed last spring and could become the next generation of defensive stalwarts that Clemson hopes to build on. Last but certainly not least was the latest signing which became a fait accompli for Brent Venables who used family and familiarity to whisk away Christian Wilkins from Suffield Academy in Suffield Connecticut on the fifth of January 2015. Wilkins is touted as a four to five star defensive end with loads of game breaking potential on the defensive side of the ball. Venables convinced Wilkins that Clemson would be a good fit and maybe took one away from Ohio State, who ironically did the same to Clemson, last recruiting cycle in 2014.
If the status remains quo then Clemson will have answered all of its requirements for the defensive side of the ball at virtually every position. Vic Beasley will not be an easy player to replace, but the promise of leadership seems to run deep in this recruiting class. Now with two promising wide receivers and quarterbacks locked in place, it might just retain its status as Receiver “U” looking into the future. Sammy Watkins, Martavis Bryant and “Nuke” Hopkins have garnered Clemson a bit of notoriety as a school that develops NFL ready receivers. What continues to be a question mark will be how Sweeney recruits perhaps a marquee running back to complement his top heavy defensive class. Could it be possible to find another C.J. Spiller or Ellington for the Tigers backfield?
Signing day is still a stretch into the future, but if Clemson can keep this current class mostly intact from a commitment level than they will have another top fifteen recruiting class moving into the 2015 season.
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