Take Two: As visits loom, does Clemson lead for Justin Flowe?
Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling an issue in the college football landscape. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com national recruiting director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites or a regional analyst.
MORE: Flowe announces November visits
THE STORYLINE
Clemson is the perceived frontrunner for five-star linebacker Justin Flowe as the Tigers continue to make significant in-roads in the West region, but November is going to be a big month for him.
The Upland, Calif., standout is going to be all across the country every weekend next month starting at Miami, followed by trips to Clemson and Georgia and then closing out with a visit to Oregon.
The Tigers moved to the front in the last few months and especially after Flowe visited Clemson in the offseason, where he not only had a great visit to campus but really hit it off with the coaching staff.
As it stands now, there’s a good chance - maybe better than good - that Clemson could land the top-four players in the country in quarterback D.J. Uiagalalei and DL Bryan Bresee, who are both already committed, and then Flowe and Columbia (S.C.) Hammond School DE Jordan Burch.
Clemson has the edge, but a big month of visits are coming up and things could change if USC moves on from coach Clay Helton and hires a blockbuster coach.
Is it too early to peg Flowe to Clemson or will the Tigers end up signing Flowe, one of the hardest hitters in Rivals history?
FIRST TAKE: Paul Strelow, TigerIllustrated.com
“Clemson has been the perceived frontrunner since the summer, and for credible reason. Flowe has maintained the desire to see the process through with official visits, though, so next month’s itinerary should come as no surprise.
“Circumstances can change in recruiting, and visits leave room for the door to be cracked and pushed open wider. I don’t know that you look at any of the other suitors and consider them a close threat right now. But I would bet the Tigers aren’t taking anything for granted, either. Clemson is in the best spot heading into the official visit slate, and perhaps by a wide margin. But it isn’t over till it’s over.”
SECOND TAKE: Mike Farrell, Rivals.com
“He’s always been interested in Miami, so that will be interesting. I don’t think they’re the biggest threat to Clemson, though. I would say USC still is. I don’t think he’d go to USC if they hire Jack Del Rio or somebody like that. It would have to be a huge-name hire like Urban Meyer.
“Georgia is the one that intrigues me. A lot of kids go to Georgia and come away really impressed and then end up committing there. If he wants to stay close to home or at least on the West Coast, then Oregon is a good option but it’s Clemson, Georgia and maybe USC and then everybody else at this point.”
