Recruiting Snapshot: Clemson Tigers
While most of college football has been put on hold, recruiting marches on. The class of 2021 has seen a wave of commitments since the start of April, and the team rankings have adjusted to reflect growing classes. We are taking a snapshot of each class, and continue today with a look at the Clemson Tigers.
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MORE CLEMSON: The first question we'll ask Swinney on first day of camp
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker
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CLEMSON
Current rank: 3
Number of commits: 12
Top commits: Four-star WR Beaux Collins (No. 32 overall), four-star ILB Barrett Carter (No. 37), four-star APB Will Shipley (No. 38)
Top targets: Four-star OT Tristan Leigh (No. 28), four-star DT Payton Page (No. 30), four-star WR Troy Stellato (No. 124)
LOCAL REACTION
“Clemson fans had to wait nearly two months for their commitment spree to commence, although that was to be expected with relatively few spots left in their class. The Tigers had to let Shipley and Carter play out on their own time, and those eventually materialized in Clemson's favor, as expected.
“There are just a handful of spaces left, so Clemson continues to patiently await direction for its bull’s-eyed target. The needle is pointed in its direction with Stellato and four-star corner Nyland Green, while the process is idling with Page and the pool of tackle candidates featuring Leigh, Nolan Rucci and Amarius Mims. Then there’s the matter of getting a few to campus for a key visit once the NCAA moratorium clears, such as safety Andrew Mukuba.
“Patience is Clemson’s virtue this summer.” - Paul Strelow, TigerIllustrated.com
NATIONAL REACTION
“There have been some major changes to Clemson’s recruiting class since the last time the Tigers were featured in this series. Most of Clemson’s commitments are on the offensive side of the ball, but the Tigers added two major pieces to the puzzle. The first is No. 1 all-purpose back Will Shipley. After a tough battle with Notre Dame, Shipley decided Clemson was the place for him because of the success he could have in its offense and the overall comfort level with the program, coaches, current and future players. Clemson also added to its quarterback room with a commitment from former Georgia baseball commit Bubba Chandler.
“We can expect more additions to the defensive side of the ball over the next few months. Earlier this month, Clemson got a commitment from linebacker Barrett Carter out of Georgia. He is the second linebacker commitment for Clemson in this class, along with Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
“Clemson already holds a commitment from defensive end Cade Denhoff, but it is still trying to rebound from losing a commitment from No. 1 prospect Korey Foreman. The Tigers remain in the thick of his recruitment, but are targeting other defensive linemen like Page and three-star Zaire Patterson.” - Adam Friedman, East Coast analyst