Tiger Tracker: Update From Clemson Recruiting Trail
The summer months were kind to Clemson on the recruiting trail. The Tigers picked up a number of blue-chip prospects in the 2022 class and at one time had one of the top five classes in the country.
Things have slowed down a little since the season began, with the Tigers' lone commitment coming from 2023 WR Nathaniel Joseph, Clemson's first verbal pledge in the next class.
However, this staff is still hard at work trying to put the finishing touches on the current class that currently ranks No. 9 in the country. Let's take a look at where things stand.
Offensive Line
Currently, the team has two offensive linemen committed in the 2022 class, and could possibly add one more. In actuality, they really need to add another guy, as it is never really ideal to take just two offensive linemen in one recruiting class.
At the moment, Earnest Greene is really the only guy of note. The 6-foot-4, 330-pound prospect out of St Bosco just picked up an offer this month, but if we're being realistic, Clemson might have gotten in a little too late. Not saying they are completely out of it, but there is a lot of ground to make up. He was in Charlotte for Clemson's loss to Georgia.
2023 OL Joshua Miller will be in attendance this weekend when Clemson hosts Boston College for Homecoming. The 6-foot-6, 320-pound prospect out of Virginia picked up an offer from the Tigers recently, and at the time Miller told me it was the offer he had been waiting for.
Miller recently hinted that something big was coming on November 2, and when I asked him about it, he would only say that day would be a "turning point" in his recruitment. That day does hold special meaning from him and it would not be all that surprising if he announces then.
Obviously, in-state OL Monroe Freeling is another name to keep an eye on. He was the first offensive lineman in the 2023 class to pick up an offer. Some have assumed that Freeling was a lock to the Tigers, being an in-state player, but it is far too early to make that assumption.
One of the top players in the state, the 6-foot-7, 283-pound Freeling already holds close to 20 offers and will take a visit to Notre Dame this weekend. This comes after having already taken a visit to South Bend over the summer. Clemson is one of the major players, but there is still a long way to go.
Arguably the top center in the 2023 class, Bradyn Joiner, will be on hand this weekend for the Boston College game.
Wide Receiver
The staff wants to add one more wideout to the 2022 class, which already includes Adam Randall out of Myrtle Beach, and the guy they have their sights set on obviously is Andre Greene Jr.
The Tigers really need to get him back on campus, but he has no visits scheduled at the moment. His high school team has a lot of Saturday games coming up, so that won't be easy, but receivers coach Tyler Grisham did go up and watch him play last weekend.
While Greene has always been high on how well the Tigers develop their wideouts and put them into the NFL, Mack Brown and the Heels have gained a lot of traction here. Georgia is heavily involved as well.
Some might assume Clemson's slow start hurts them here, and maybe it does a little, but the Tigers do have a proven track record they can fall back on. UNC's disappointing start hurts them far more. A decision doesn't look to be coming anytime in the near future, though.
But if the staff misses on Greene, does Dutch Fork WR Antonio Williams finally get an offer. He is one of those quick, twitchy guys with a smaller body type, something the wide receiver room is missing at the moment. But next year Will Taylor will move to receiver, along with a more experienced Troy Stellatto becoming involved after taking a redshirt this season.
Wake Forest commit Wesley Grimes is also a name to remember if the Tigers miss on Greene. The Raleigh native camped at Clemson in June, was in attendance for the double-overtime loss to NC State last weekend, and could be in Death Valley this weekend. Just a name to keep in mind as a fallback option.
Tight End
2022 TE target Oscar Delp is announcing on October 13, and unless something miraculous happens, he will not be heading to Clemson. Expect in-state legacy player Josh Sapp to get an offer in the near future. Tight ends coach Tony Elliott recently made the short trip to Greeneville to watch him play.
Defensive Back
2023 S Caleb Downs is set to visit this weekend. Clemson offered back in the summer. He's a Top-50 talent that already has more than 30 offers
2023 DB Trayvon West, who is still waiting on an offer, was on hand for the Tigers win over Georgia Tech and was blown away by the visit.
"It went well," West told All Clemson. "I really enjoyed being there, it was awesome from the coaches to the fans and just the overall environment was something I’d like to be a part of."
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