Clemson lands elite Florida-based wide receiver

Clemson snagging a top prospect out of Florida is becoming something of a tradition. On Saturday, the latest installment of said tradition unfolded when Rivals100 wide receiver Frank Ladson officially committed to the Tigers. His decision came, as most do, with a tweet. Below, Rivals.com takes a look at how Ladson’s commitment helps Clemson and how it impacts the schools that missed out.

HOW IT HELPS CLEMSON:

Ladson is a rare blend of size and speed and seems pretty close to a can’t-miss prospect. He’s shined against stellar competition on Friday nights and on the camp circuit, where he’s beaten plenty of FBS-bound defensive backs on a consistent basis.

The big picture is what’s important here, though. Ladson is extremely in-demand. The four-star wide receiver was near the top of the recruiting board at all three in-state schools, so pulling him out of Florida is a massive victory for Clemson. Ladson’s relationship with Tigers wide receivers coach Jeff Scott is what sealed this deal. Ladson plays on one of the country’s elite 7-on-7 teams and attends a high South Dade High School, which boasts a number of top 2020 prospects, making him the kind of player you can use as bait for other elite prospects. Clemson had been Ladson’s top school for weeks, so the chances of Dabo Swinney and company hanging on to his pledge until signing day seem solid at worst.

HOW IT HURTS OTHERS:

Miami is probably the biggest loser here, as Mark Richt’s staff felt somewhat good about the work it had done with Ladson in recent weeks, getting him on campus often. The bright side, however, is that the Hurricanes’ current roster is absolutely loaded with wide receiver. Miami has work to do when it comes to their crop of 2019 wide receivers, but the current depth chart and the fact that it has top-option Marc Britt in the fold for 2020 should ease the pain.

Ladson was once committed to Florida, so his Saturday commitment to the Tigers probably stung a bit in Gainesville as well.