Clemson Football Recruiting 2015: Five Tigers Who Could Start As True Freshmen

Nov 29, 2014; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers fans celebrate a touchdown against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports

5) Mark Fields – Cornerback

It is generally expected that Clemson’s secondary will be the strength of its defense next season thanks, in part, to the return of guys like Mackensie Alexander, Jayron Kearse, and Jadar Johnson. But the truth is that another big part of the reason for that expectation is that the secondary is the only level of the defense that does return a couple of starters.

The secondary will have to deal with a couple of big losses too though, with the departure of corners Garry Peters and Martin Jenkins, along with safety Robert Smith.

There will be question marks at both positions next year but, at cornerback, the 2015 Clemson recruiting class may be able to supply some answers.

Cornerback may be one of the easier positions for a true freshman to make an impact right away and the Tigers landed a good one on National Signing Day in Mark Fields.

Fields will immediately be one of the fastest players on the team when he arrives. When he attended “The Opening,” he was among the quickest measured in the 40-yard dash. 247 Sports lists his 40-time at 4.33 seconds, while ESPN has it at 4.5. My guess is that reality is somewhere in the middle.

Fields also looks like a strong tackler for a corner and he is solid coverage (though highlight reels usually don’t show a corner’s blown coverages). He won’t have an easy path to a starting job as a freshman but, in all likelihood, he will find his way on the field in some capacity. Against modern offenses you really need at least a few good corners and it is unclear whether the Tigers currently have that on campus.

Next: #4 - A versatile defensive lineman