With signing day fast approaching Dabo Swinney and his coaching staff has positioned themselves to have a good signing class. Decommitments could appeared that they would bring the class down be ratcheted up their recruiting efforts. The Tigers' staff has found new targets and are positioned well to have good showing on National Signing Day. Here are the recruits that Clemson is still after with their, ESPN ratings, their strengths and weaknesses, other schools competing for their services, and predictions on where they could land.
Montravius Adams DT
6'3", 281 lbs(4-star, Overall Ranking: 13, Position Ranking: 2)
Adams is a 5 star DT according to most services and was on ESPN until an ankle injury kept him from participation in the Under Armour Game. Adams can start immediately. The Georgia native is a big physical lineman. He matches his strength with very good quickness and speed for his size and a natural ability to get off of blocks. Clemson was the first to offer Montravius and has remained at the top of his list ever since. Georgia is Clemson's primary competition for Adams along with Florida, Alabama and possibly Auburn. Adams is a hard guy to read but he's likely to pick Clemson on Signing Day. Prediction: Clemson(90 % confidence)
Mackensie Alexander
CB 5'11" 175 lbs(5-star, Overall Ranking: 4, Position Ranking: 2)
Alexander is a true shut down corner. He is physical with receivers when playing up on the line of scrimmage. With a 4.4 40 time, Alexander is able to use his speed to shadow wide-outs and has good ball skills. He breaks on the ball very well, has natural instincts, and is a good tackler. Mackensie is a weapon on punt and kick returns. He could start from day one at Clemson and play like a senior. It's also worth noting that his fraternal twin
brother, MacKenro, that MacKensie would like to play with him and could factor into his final decision. Clemson has always been at the top of Alexander's list but he has changed his mind very often. Right now the Tigers are a the team to beat. He was reportedly committed to Mississippi State but those reports were denied by Alexander. Texas A&M, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Kentucky, Auburn, and Rutgers have also been linked to MacKensie but Clemson has consistently been at the top of his list but he has been all over the place. Prediction: Clemson(50% confidence)
Adrian Baker CB 6'1" 165 (4-star, Overall Ranking: 200, Position Ranking: 19)Baker is a play-maker. He can catch the ball better than most corners and is very good at breaking on the ball. Baker has good height and length for a DB which will help him match up with tall receivers. Baker also is a factor as a punt/kick returner as he possesses great speed. Oklahoma is the only other school at this point that Baker is considering. Clemson is a school on the rise and Oklahoma is a school that has been one of the best programs in the country. Baker will likely wait until National Signing Day to make his decision know and is 50/50 right now. Prediction: Oklahoma( 20% confidence)
5'11" 175 lbs(4-star, Position Ranking: 47)
Clark has flown under the radar and hasn't been heavily recruited until he had a big senior season at New Smyrna Beach High School. With a 4.3 40 time, Clark would flourish in the Clemson offense. He is very good in space and would be the perfect slot receiver for the Tiger. Clark has very good ball skills as well. Not to mention he is extremely smart, he has a 3.9 GPA and reportedly scored a 1620 on the SAT, so it will not be very hard for him to learn a college playbook. Even though Clemson was late to offer Clark, as soon as other decommitted they offered him. He actually should be better than previous Tiger commit Ryan Jenkins. The Tigers appear to be a good match for Clark's services. Nebraska, Florida, Northwestern, and Ohio State are other schools that are recruiting Clark. Clark liked Nebraska and Florida is close to home but the Tigers staff have done a great job of showing Clark how he will fit in. Prediction: Clemson(75% confidence)
Tyrone Crowder OG
6'1" 325(4-star, Overall Ranking: 125, Position Ranking: 5)
Crowder is a very physical offensive lineman. He brings a nastiness that all teams want on the line. He is crazy strong(see video here: http://youtu.be/LRU-mQWDNto) and finishes blocks. He has good athleticism and will get down field and block. Clemson has always lead the way for Crowder. He has ties to the upstate and his cousin, Stephone Athony, is on the Tiger roster. Georgia is the only other team in the picture for Crowder and would likely have to do an insane recruiting job down the stretch to sway him from the Tigers. Prediction: Clemson(90% confidence)
6'2" 251 lbs(5-star, Overall Ranking: 2, Position Ranking: 2)
Carl Lawson is the #2 rated prospect in the nation according to ESPN but he isn't happy with that. Lawson possess a competitiveness to be the greatest. He uses his strength to bull rush through blockers. He also is very quick and can get off of blocks quickly. Lawson plays with a motor that is nonstop. Lawson has been a long time Auburn commit but with coaching changes Clemson is in place to be the beneficiary of a flip flop. Right now, Tennessee is on the move and the biggest obstacle in the way of him coming to Clemson. Lawson is very private about what he's thinking and will even sign his letter of intent in his home instead of a press conference. It should come down to Tennessee and Clemson. Prediction: Clemson(50% confidence)
6'1" 181 lbs(4-star, Overall Ranking: 172, Position Ranking: 20)
Priester is another player that is committed to another school where a coaching change has lead to him weighing his options. Priester had a big senior season and elevated his stock this year. Priester has good size that he uses to high point the ball and catch it over defenders. Priester has deceptive speed that he uses to get separtion from DBs. Priester committed to NC State in October, but with Coach O'Brien departure that commitment has been very shaky. Even though is committed to the Wolfpack, Clemson has the upper hand. With former NC State DB Coach Mike Reed now at Clemson, Priester is comfortable with the Tiger staff. Priester is almost guarantee to wear Orange next season that he might commit by the time this is published. Prediction: Clemson(95% confidence)
Korrin Wiggins S
6'0" 190 lbs(3-star, Position Ranking: 30)
Wiggins is an ideal safety. He normally reads the eyes of the quarterback and is able to break on the ball well. He has good instincts and a knack at making defensive plays. He is also a solid tackler and good at stopping the run. Wiggins is currently committed to North Carolina. Clemson will have a hard time getting him to switch. He lives in Durham, NC and there is pressure for him to stay instate. Prediction: North Carolina(90% confidence)
6'3" 204 lbs(4-star, Overall Ranking: 143, Position Ranking: 1)
Woulard has been recently offered by the Tigers after Morgan Roberts decided to transfer and 2014 commit DeShaun Watson has been flirting with other schools. Clemson has kept in touch with Woulard behind the scenes and when Roberts transferred Clemson immediately offered Woulard. He has great height and is a perfect fit a dual threat QB. His dad perfectly describes him as a mobile pocket passer. Unlike most dual threat QBs, Woulard has very good accuracy as evidenced by winning the Elite 11 MVP. Woulard would be a perfect fit for the Clemson offense and he has always been a fan of the Tigers.
The South Florida decommit, is currently considering NC State, Kentucky, and UCLA. Clemson appears to have the upper hand and he could join the commitment list this week. Prediction: Clemson(confidence 80%)
Back to the Clemson Tigers Newsfeed