Published Dec 5, 2021
Five significant recruits that Brent Venables signed at Clemson
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Adam Friedman  •  Rivals.com
Rankings Director and National Transfer Portal Analyst
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Oklahoma fans are very familiar with Brent Venables from his days as the Sooners' defensive coordinator ten years ago but he really flexed his recruiting muscles while he was away at Clemson. Check out the most significant recruits the new Oklahoma head coach has signed during his coaching career.

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The biggest feather in Venables' cap, Bresee was the top overall recruit in the 2020 class. Every team in the country was pushing for Bresee but Penn State looked like the other major contender. Bresee has so far lived up to the hype. He was a Freshman All-American and ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year but suffered a knee injury four games into this season.

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Wilkins didn't get a ton of headlines during the recruiting process but made a name for himself at the Under Armour All-America Game his senior season. Venables was on Wilkins fairly early in the process and ended up beating Stanford, Penn State, Ohio State and Boston College when Wilkins announced his commitment during the Under Armour Game. Wilkins turned into a star for the Tigers, amassing nearly 200 tackles and 16 sacks before getting drafted No. 13 overall by the Miami Dolphins

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A running back turned linebacker, Simpson committed to Auburn in the summer before his senior season. When he reopened his recruitment, North Carolina became the immediate favorite. Despite multiple trips to Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels couldn't close the deal. Clemson was Simpson's childhood favorite team and he had been to the campus plenty of times but the Tigers didn't offer until he took an official visit the weekend before the Early Signing Period. When the offer came he quickly committed to Clemson and he has gone on to have an outstanding start to his career.

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Mullen's commitment to Clemson was a bit of a surprise. He announced on National Signing Day and was rumored to be leaning towards LSU but he decided to sign with Clemson instead. Florida State, Louisville and TCU were the other major contenders. He went on to have a fantastic career at Clemson, totaling nearly 100 tackles, four interceptions, 12 pass breakups, and a forced fumble. Mullen, the 2019 National Championship Game Defensive MVP, was drafted in the second round by the Raiders.

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Simmons wasn't heavily recruited until the end of the process. Clemson was late to the party but their offer made a big impact and pushed them past Michigan and Nebraska in the race for his commitment. Simmons went on to become a transcendent player for Venables' defense. He only played for Clemson for three years but Simmons made a huge impact. In 2019 he won the Butkus Award, was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and was a unanimous All-American selection. Simmons was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the eighth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.