Tiger Tracker: All Clemson Recruiting Mailbag
You've got recruiting questions and we have the answers.
Welcome to All Clemson's recruiting mailbag, where we will answer your weekly recruiting questions. Or we will at least attempt to do so, as recruiting is a world with many moving parts and an ever-changing landscape where circumstances can often change in a flash.
With that in mind, let's dive in.
Mailbag
Ron: With no real success in RB recruiting classes for 2 years is C.J. Spiller in over his head?
Short answer, no. First of all, I think it is a little unfair to hold Spiller accountable for anything that did or did not happen in the 2022 recruiting cycle. He came on board as a full-time assistant well after the cycle started, with Clemson focused squarely on one target, Trevor Etienne, who I am convinced was never coming to Clemson, regardless of who was recruiting him.
Spiller actually had 2022 RB Andrew Paul locked up after Etienne announced a commitment to Florida, only to have Georgia, the school Paul grew up rooting for, swoop in last minute and land him. Some things are out of the coaching staff's hands.
As for the 2023 cycle, yes, Clemson is once again taking the one-player-at-a-time approach. However, that is something the Tigers have done since long before Spiller became RB coach. While Spiller can certainly have input, it's Dabo Swinney who gets the final say on when and if a player is offered.
In talking with multiple people over the past year or so, I fully believe Spiller has what it takes to grow into a solid recruiter, but those things generally do not happen overnight. Coaches grow and evolve, and Spiller would be the first to admit he is still learning. Like all things, it's a process, and it's far too early to throw in the towel on a coach with the pedigree of Spiller.
John: Does 2023 DE Tomarrion Parker go to the top of the DE list? If yes, is it because he is a better prospect or is Hobbs not interested in Clemson?
I think the fact that Parker has an offer in hand and Hobbs does not makes it pretty clear about which player is higher on the board at the moment. As far as which one is the better prospect, I think we might be splitting hairs, as both are generally considered Top 100-150 talents. Personally, I would have Parker with the more immediate upside, but both have tons of potential.
The Tigers were in on Parker early and he actually worked out at one of Dabo Swinney's high school camps last summer. Defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall also went and scouted one of his games last season. I would say that also factors in heavily as to why he and not Hobbs got the offer. The staff already had an established relationship in place that dates back much further.
Despite Parker saying all the right things about the Clemson program, the two parties started trending in opposite directions around the first of the year, though. About the same time, Brent Venables departed for Oklahoma. Maybe that's a coincidence, maybe not. I will also add this, in a conversation I had with him last summer, he revealed that his father was a big-time Clemson fan.
Parker would eventually wind up committing to Penn State back in June, then decommitting earlier this week. Florida, Tennessee and Georgia have all remained involved, and Parker still has multiple official visits that he can take. I would fully expect Clemson to get one.
The Tigers already have two defensive ends committed in the 2023 class in David Ojiegbe and A.J. Hoffler but are still looking for a third. It's also worth noting Parker hails from Central High in Phenix City, Alabama, the same place Justyn Ross and E.J. Williams went to high school. The Tigers have had some success there.
Jason: What position is still a big need and is Clemson currently looking good for getting a recruit to fill said position?
I would call running back the biggest position of need left in the class. Clemson currently has just four scholarship backs on the roster and likes to carry five. Although, having three extremely talented sophomores currently on the team doesn't make it a dire need in this class, in my opinion, meaning it isn't absolutely necessary for the Tigers to sign one of the top-rated backs in the class. The coaches are also pretty confident they hit on Keith Adams Jr. in the last recruiting cycle.
Having that kind of talent has allowed the staff to be very selective with the approach they have taken to recruiting running backs in this class. While some may not agree with that strategy, it is what it is. Right now, the lone target is Chris Johnson, out of Ft. Lauderdale and I certainly would not call Clemson the favorite to land him. Let's start with seeing if they can get him on campus for an official visit in the fall.
Do you have any recruiting questions that you want to ask? If so, just let us know. Shoot us an email at jp@clemsonmaven.io or shoot us a DM on Twitter.
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