Tiger Tracker: All Clemson Recruiting Mailbag
You've got recruiting questions and we have the answers.
Welcome to All Clemson's recruiting mailbag, where each week we will answer your recruiting questions. Or we will at least attempt to do so, as recruiting is a world with a lot of moving parts and an ever-changing landscape.
The Tigers picked up two commitments last week, one from Elite-11 QB finalist Chris Vizzina, and the other from blue-chip TE Reid Mikeska, and now the staff will look to carry that momentum into the summer months, a critical time in recruiting circles.
Monday Mailbag
Mike: Do you think there will be any big (positive) surprises in this class? Maybe a big name that we may get that we aren’t expecting?
That really depends on what we are talking about when it comes to the word surprises. If we're talking about signing day surprises, it's just far too early to know, seeing as the early signing period is still about eight months away. Those tend to take shape later on in recruiting cycles.
The Tigers do have some big names on the board, though, particularly along the defensive line. Clemson is in the thick of it for Peter Woods and Vic Burley, both Top-30 talents overall and both ranked among the five-best defensive linemen in the country.
I think the chances of landing Burley, who is out of Warner Robins, Georgia are a little higher than they are with Woods, but that's just my gut feeling at this point. Both players have visited several times over the past calendar year, and both love the culture Dabo Swinney has created inside the program. Woods was extremely complimentary of the revamped coaching staff after his visit for Elite Junior Day in January.
However, Woods is from Alabama, and Clemson fans have all too often seen how incredibly difficult it is to pull elite-level defensive talent out of that state. Having said that, it would not shock me at all to see the Tigers land both, I'm just not sure I would bet on it happening.
Andrew: Who is looking at Clemson basketball?
Right now, Brad Brownell is looking to fill some holes on his roster via the transfer portal, something the head coach has experienced some success with in recent years. As you probably saw, the Tigers landed a huge transfer commitment last week from guard Jaelin Llewellyn.
Next up, is graduate transfer, Dexter Dennis. The 6-foot-5 guard is set to visit this week. The Tigers still need to replace what they lose in David Collins, and Dennis absolutely does that. If Brownell can land him. He shot 35% from beyond the arc last season at Witchita State, averaging 8.5 points per game.
Max Klesmit is another guy to keep an eye on. The 6-foot-3 guard started 31 games for Wofford last season, averaging 14.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per contest. He had 60 assists, 50 steals, and shot 34% from three. He also averaged 32 minutes per game.
Klesmit has three years of eligibility left, and just announced a Top-4 of Clemson, Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Colorado State.
Jeff: Do you think Clemson could look at bringing in a second quarterback in the 2023 class?
This one is pretty simple. No. The Tigers have their man in Chris Vizzina and barring something crazy are done at quarterback in this cycle.
One of the things that really stood out with Vizzina was the fact that he was not only a priority, but he was the only priority at the position. The Tigers never offered another quarterback after getting out of the Arch Manning sweepstakes, choosing to go all-in on Vizzina, and it paid off.
Hunter Johnson will obviously only be on scholarship for a year, and there's a possibility DJ Uiagalelei could also be gone next season, but that still gives Clemson four scholarship quarterbacks. Were they to lose more than two after the season, then maybe there's something to think about, but still don't see a second quarterback being added to the class. That's a need that can always be addressed through the portal if need be.
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.
The Tigers, who went 10-3 in 2021 and finished 14th in the final Associated Press Poll, are the fourth team on FanDuel Sportsbook's list to win it all in 2022.
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