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 many moving parts and an ever-changing landscape.
With that in mind, let's dive in.
Mailbag
Matthew: Think we’ll still land the TE, Reid Mikeska, from Texas? If not, what TE do you see us signing?
Clemson has moved on from Mikeska. The staff offered Olsen Patt Henry just after Mikeska announced his decommitment and he is scheduled to take his official visit to Clemson next weekend. His top seven consist of Alabama, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Duke, Florida State and Clemson.
2023 TE Markus Dixon is also set to take an official next weekend. He has close to two dozen offers but has yet to pick up one from Clemson. Right now those are the only two players at the position set to take officials next weekend.
While it is far too early to make any prediction regarding who eventually signs, those are two names to know right now, along with Jelani Thurman, who also has an offer. Thurman's finalists are Alabama, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Auburn, Clemson, Miami and Michigan State and he was on campus for an unofficial visit in the spring.
Kevin: On the OL recruiting, is it realistic that we will land any big-time recruits? Seems like Thomas Austin needs some credibility and time to become a great coach. Are we going to have another class full of developmental types? Just seems like our new coaches have Dabo’s and the player's confidence but the recruits are still uncertain about them. We lost two great OL recruits to Not of all schools.
I discussed some of the top offensive line targets in last week's mailbag, which you can find here, so I will address the other parts of the question. Let me start by saying, I do not believe Clemson took a class full of developmental guys in 2022, or 2021. While there were some developmental guys in the 2020 class, I maintain that the Tigers currently have more talent along the offensive line than they have ever had under Dabo Swinney, a lot of that due to what has been signed in the past two recruiting cycles.
As for Thomas Austin, like with most coaches, it will take time for him to really hones his skills on the recruiting trail. However, I think the position is in really good hands going forward. Early returns are excellent as far as his ability to relate to potential prospects.
Having said all that, obviously, this is a results-based business, and we will just have to see how things unfold between now and signing day. So far I have liked the direction the Tigers are taking when it comes to recruiting offensive linemen under Austin. One noticeable difference is the fact that there seems to be an emphasis on bringing in more size.
And yes, Clemson has lost two recruiting battles to Notre Dame so far in this cycle. Irish OL coach Harry Hiestand has a long track record of putting offensive linemen into the NFL and until Clemson starts putting more guys into the league at that position, it is a hurdle they will have to continue to cross.
Jeff: Do you anticipate any commitments either during or immediately after the big recruiting weekend, June 3-5?
Honestly, that is something that is really hard to predict, so let's put it this way. If there are no commitments next weekend, that's not necessarily a sign of doom and gloom. Many of the players scheduled to take official visits next weekend have more scheduled throughout the month of June. This is Clemson's chance to really put their best foot forward with the top targets that will be on hand before they go on other officials. While it's generally a good thing to get the final visit it's not always a bad thing to be getting the first official visit.
However, a number of targets are looking at making decisions before the start of their senior season, so even if there are no announcements next weekend, it won't be long before some of the chips start falling. Remember, Clemson had four commitments going into the month of June last year, the same number they have right now.
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.
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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