As ESD Approaches, Clemson Working to Keep What's Left of 2022 Class Intact

With Early Signing Day rapidly approaching, the Clemson coaching staff now finds itself not only trying to add to what is already a small class but also trying to keep the guys currently committed on board.

The Tigers did get some good news on Thursday night, with 2022 in-state wide receiver Antonio Williams committing to Clemson, but at the same time have already lost two members of the class since Brent Venables left for Oklahoma.

Safety Keon Sabb and defensive end Jihaad Campbell, two of the more talented players in the class, both decommitted in recent days. That leaves the Tigers with just 13 players currently committed and there is the possibility there could be more decommitments to follow.

Campbell's exit leaves Clemson with no defensive linemen currently committed and while the staff can possibly get away with not adding a defensive tackle in this cycle due to Tyler Davis' potential return next season, it certainly wouldn't be ideal, seeing as the team signed just one (Payton Page) in 2021.

The coaches are still pursuing defensive tackle Khurtiss Perry out of Pike Road in Alabama, who picked up an offer back in September. Todd Bates went in-home with Perry on Monday night, but it's hard to pull elite-level defensive talent out of that state, and the Crimson Tide are considered the favorites to land him. Auburn is also in play.

It does appear that an effort is being made to get Perry to campus this weekend for a visit. If that comes to fruition, that's absolutely a positive sign, but either way, there is still a lot of work to be done here, and with very little time.

The roster is now starting to get thin at defensive end, though. Xavier Thomas will not be back in 2022. As it stands currently, Clemson will go into next season with just seven scholarship players at the position, and that is assuming K.J. Henry comes back.

The staff isn't very likely to add another end before the early signing period begins on December 15, but that doesn't mean the Tigers can't still add another edge rusher. There will be a number of players that don't sign until February. The staff will undoubtedly be getting in late, but they have gotten guys late in the past.

With Sabb no longer on board, that does open up another spot at safety. It will be interesting to see how the coaches decide to handle that and who they target over the next few weeks.

The coaching staff is also still looking to add a running back to the class. The Tigers came into the cycle looking to add just one back, but with the transfers of Lyn-J Dixon and Michel Dukes, Clemson has just three scholarship backs set to return next season. They like to carry five, meaning adding one would still leave them one short.

The priority has long been Trevor Etienne, and as of now, the staff is all in on the younger brother of former Clemson standout Travis Etienne. This is a recruitment that has been played very close to the vest, and it's hard to get a good read on how things will play out. Florida and Clemson have been the two teams considered the favorites, but TreVonte’ Citizen's decommitment from LSU last week leaves the Bayou Bengals with no running backs committed in the 2022 class, meaning they could also be a factor.

Both LSU and Florida are going through head coaching changes, but new Gators head coach Billy Napier is very familiar with Etienne, offering him while he was at Louisiana. How much any of that impacts his recruitment, or if it does at all is hard to know. Etienne is set to take an official visit to Clemson this weekend and isn't signing until February.

Another name to keep an eye on is Andrew Paul, out of Dallas Parish in Texas. C.J. Spiller was on hand to watch Paul in person over the weekend, and the running back shined, rushing for well over 300 yards, with four touchdowns. Paul isn't one of the more highly rated guys, but his film suggests he could be a little underrated. He has turned in a strong senior season, and now has 16 offers, including Michigan State, Auburn, Baylor and Oklahoma State.

Another option that could be considered to help bolster the class is the transfer portal. While Swinney has yet to use the portal since its inception, the head coach has made it clear he is open to the idea if there are any holes on the roster that need filling, and make no mistake there are bound to be some areas in which the Tigers will be lacking when it comes to quality depth.

The current season, and all the injuries involved, has shown just how important having that depth can be and dipping into the portal almost seems inevitable at this point.

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