Tiger Tracker: All Clemson Recruiting Mailbag
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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.
With that in mind, let's dive in.
Mailbag
Brock: Can the new staff recruit at the same level as the staff that has left (Brent Venables, Jeff Scott, Tony Elliott, Todd Bates)? It has me worried.
Fair question. Jeff Scott, Brent Venables and Tony Elliott are three of the better recruiters in the country. Venables was actually named the best recruiter in the country a few years back, and Wes Goodwin absolutely has some big shoes to fill.
Will he be the recruiter that Venables was? Unlikely, but either way, there is just no way to know that answer at this point. I'm also not sure he has to be. Yes, he has to be able to recruit, but he doesn't have to be Venables.
If the Clemson defense can produce similar results under his guidance, and keep pumping players into the NFL, it will make recruiting far more easier than it otherwise would be. Results matter. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but I do think that it speaks volumes that a coach with the stature of Dabo Swinney did not hesitate to put him in the position he's in.
I think the jury is still out on Tyler Grisham as well. So far, so good, though. Looking at the past two cycles, the Tigers landed two blue-chip talents in the 2022 class, in Adam Randall and Antonio Williams. In 2021, three were signed. Beaux Collins, Dacari Collins and Troy Stellato. From purely a recruiting standpoint, Grisham is bringing in talent, the question now becomes how those players are developed.
As for C.J. Spiller, this is only his first full recruiting cycle as the running backs coach. Let him get his feet wet before making that call. Having said that, by all accounts, Spiller has the makeup to grow into an excellent recruiter, but it doesn't happen overnight. Add in that of the many running back recruits I have spoken to in the 2022 and 2023 classes, every single one has spoken extremely highly of him. We are talking about a former first-round NFL Draft pick and a College Football Hall of Fame member. He has the pedigree, I surely wouldn't bet against him.
Now on to Nick Eason, Todd Bates' replacement. While Eason is in only his second season at the collegiate level, he brings a wealth of NFL experience to Swinney's staff. He has played at, and coached at, the highest level, and knows what it takes to get there. While Bates is known as an excellent recruiter, in my opinion, the Tigers got an upgrade in Eason.
Just like some of the new assistants on the staff, Scott, Elliott and Bates were all unknown commodities from a recruiting standpoint when they joined Clemson's coaching staff. Swinney's already proven he has a knack for hiring people who can relate to high school prospects. I wouldn't expect it to be any different with these new hires.
Robbie: With June quickly approaching, what are your thoughts on the lengthy list of expected visitors for the first weekend in June? Any guys you feel good about or may even commit?
It is a star-studded list of about two dozen players at the moment. What might come out of it is a little hard to predict at this point, but there are a number of players I think Clemson is in good shape with at the moment. LB Jamal Anderson, CB Branden Strozier, DL AJ Hoffler, OL Ian Reed and WR Ronan Hanafin, for example. Whether any commitments come that weekend or any of those players commit to Clemson in the future, we shall see.
TJ: What are the chances of landing RB Jeremiah Cobb?
When Cobb visited last month and left without an offer, a narrative developed that suggested it hurt Clemson. Not true. While Auburn and Tennessee are both legitimate contenders to land the blue-chip running back out of Alabama, Clemson is very much in the thick of this thing, and I fully expect Cobb to be on hand that first weekend in June. As for the chances of landing him, it's too early to say at this point.
Justin: It seems like recruiting wise we are back to where we were just before Deshaun Watson was recruited. Do you agree with that feeling? Seems like we are picking up “decent” recruits, and not “big-time” recruits.
I don't know. I think Cade Klubnik, Jeadyn Lukus and Toriano Pride are all big-time recruits and all were signed in the last class. Adam Randall and Colin Sadler, as well. All Top-200 talents.
In 2013, the year before Watson, Clemson finished No. 15 in the recruiting rankings, per 247 Sports. And that was a class that only had 14 players in it. Last season the Tigers finished No. 10, despite having to rush and fill spots down the stretch after four decommitments.
Although, from a fan's perspective, recruiting is a lot about perception, and right now, after suffering another decommitment last week, I understand why some might feel the Tigers could use some momentum.
There is no question, this is a big recruiting cycle for the Tigers, but I would also suggest letting things play out before writing this coaching staff off. There are a ton of ebbs and flows in each recruiting cycle. The misses aren't always as big as they seem at the time. There is still a lot of time between now and the early signing period in December. Seven months to be exact.
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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