A New Plan Takes Hold<\/h3>\n
The solutions delivered by the search, and brought to the media Wednesday, made it clear. In the new world of college football, in the adapt or get left behind era, Clawson is choosing the former. He is choosing not to be irreversibly entrenched in ways that may not bring the answers they once did.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not to say there has been a complete revolution at Wake Forest. There are still academic and financial hurdles that will never allow for the program to be in the same discussion as teams in the top four in the country every year. But Clawson said Wednesday there are some changes afoot.<\/p>\n
The change begins with the recruiting class signed on Wednesday. Clawson called the day efficient. The class is ranked 51st<\/sup> in the country by the 247Sports composite, and 11th<\/sup> in the ACC. If those numbers don\u2019t impress you, it\u2019s because you have not fully embraced the who and what of Wake Forest recruiting. On the surface, they are not impressive numbers. But that is tied for the highest ranking (with the 2015 class) in the Clawson era at Wake.<\/p>\n And then there is the granular look. All of them signed their letters of intent by midday Wednesday and of the 19 high school signees, by our count, at least 14 will be early enrollees and ready for Spring camp. The names that pull the class rankings up are receiver Jeremiah Melvin<\/strong> from Fayetteville, NC, and Jeremy Hecklinski<\/a>, the quarterback from Marietta, GA. Melvin is a four-star recruit, who at 6-5 fits the prototypical Clawson wideout. Hecklinski has been solidly committed to Wake Forest since December of last year, going so far as to essentially ward off other schools from even pursuing him.<\/p>\n The high school signees have some of everything; linebackers, defensive line, defensive backs, and offensive line. Name a position and there is a recruit there.<\/p>\n And then comes the portal recruits. Wake has had a few grad transfers in the transfer portal era, and most have been productive assets. But this year is different. The immediate need is greater at some positions, and Clawson had more resources to work with. In today\u2019s college football that translates to, \u201cWe had NIL money to spend.\u201d<\/p>\n While the specific dollar figures are tightly held by the collective, the best estimation is that the program had double the amount at its disposal as it did in December of last year. That gives Clawson more recruiting options both in the portal and in getting some of his current players to stay put.<\/p>\n \u201cIt allows you to keep your players, which is really your primary goal,\u201d Clawson said Wednesday. \u201cWe\u2019re much better with our ability to keep our own players, guys that we know, that fit our program, that fit the way we do things, that enjoy it here and like it here and want to stay here.\u201d<\/p>\n That doesn\u2019t mean you get to keep everyone. No team does. Clawson said it was clear he was not going to be able to keep both slot receivers, Ke\u2019Shawn Williams<\/strong> and Taylor Morin<\/a>. He told them the first to recommit would get that commitment back from the program. The same was true at the running back position where Justice Ellison<\/strong> has left for other pastures while Demond Claiborne<\/a> returns. And there were players for whom it was clear they had played their last game at Wake. They were graduating and the high school recruiting process had them being supplanted in the pecking order at their position.<\/p>\nThe Nuts and Bolts of the Recruiting Class<\/h3>\n
Money Talks and Other Things Walk<\/h3>\n
Portal Shopping<\/h3>\n
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