SI All-American Candidate Ryan Linthicum Set to Enroll Early at Clemson
Offensive lineman and 2021 SI All-American candidate Ryan Linthicum says he is planning to enroll early at Clemson.
"I will not be playing high school football this spring," Linthicum tweeted. "I will be enrolling early to Clemson in January."
With many high schools across the country pushing their football seasons back to the spring due to the ongoing pandemic, a number of 2021 recruits are faced with the difficult decision of playing their senior season or enrolling early. On Monday, both Linthicum and SI99 member Will Shipley announced their intentions to enroll at Clemson early instead of playing a spring season.
Linthicum, a former teammate of Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, has been committed to the Tigers for close to a year and is considered one of the top centers in the entire class. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound prospect out of Damascus, Md., chose Clemson over other finalists Ohio State, Michigan, and Virginia Tech.
Frame: Thick hipped bowling ball playing center. Could stand to even some things out before adding any more weight upon arrival in college.
Athleticism: He’s a mass mover. Not overly athletic but displays enough to dominate in an inside zone scheme. Could work up to the ability to reach block in an outside zone look.
Instincts: Has one goal, and that’s to flat back the defender, and then hold him there until the whistle is blown. He plays with a level of aggression that he’s going to need to handle interior defensive linemen on the next level.
Polish: Stance is wide, hips are tight, and there’s some questionable footspeed that will need to be addressed, but this is a big boy that loves to drive block – which is a valuable skill for a guy on the interior.
Bottom Line: Linthicum has got some things to clean up on the next level, especially if he’s going to have the quickness it takes to face ACC defensive linemen. Though he has all of the power in the world to move people off the point of attack, his best football is well ahead.
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