This was a huge weekend for the Clemson football program. Here is a wrap-up to the entire weekend for Tiger fans who may have missed something.
The line stretched for what seemed to be miles. People waited for hours to just get a glimpse, to get close to, to get an autograph from the pre-season All-American, the Heisman front-runner, the preseason All-ACC quarterback Deshaun Watson.
His line, obviously the longest in the annual Fan Appreciation Day, held throughout the concourses of Clemson’s Memorial Stadium. It says a lot when people show up like they did on Sunday. It also tells me that the season is upon us.
I, like most of you, am nearly beside myself with anticipation. I got my football fix over the weekend, taking in a couple different high school games. While I love high school football, it’s just not the same for me.
It’s not officially football season until the Tigers kickoff.
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It’s back to business as usual in Tiger Town right now. Classes are up and running, the freshmen are moved in and getting acclimated. The Clemson football team is now on their “normal” schedule that they will carry out for the majority of the season, and there is not much breaking news coming out of the foothills.
The Tigers did pick up a HUGE prized recruit when the nation’s No. 1 cornerback announced his choice of schools.
A.J. Terrell chose Clemson over Florida, S. Carolina and basically every other school in the country. Terrell is a 6’2″ defensive back out of Westlake HS in Atlanta, GA.
This Clemson football recruiting class is getting big fish after big fish. Tee Higgins, Amari Rodgers, Hunter Johnson, now A.J. Terrell, all 4 or 5 star recruits.
It’s a great time to be a Tiger and the momentum doesn’t seem to be slowing down, it seems to be gaining more speed every day. It’s awesome to see these young guys buying in already and trying to help the coaching staff pull in talent.
Not only do these guys want to be a Tiger, they themselves are taking to social media to help bring in the best players in the country, as you can see for yourself from AJ Terrell’s tweet below.
https://twitter.com/terrellaj56/status/766676146289344512
Who do I need to start recruiting for Clemson
— AJ Terrell (@ajterrell_8) August 22, 2016
I walked outside on my front porch early Sunday morning, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. The air was different. There was an ever-so-slight breeze that brought the normal choking humidity down a notch or two. It was almost as if you could smell football season in the air.
Definitely my favorite time of year. The temps begin to cool off, the leaves start to change. There’s a crispness in the air, and each and every week brings the excitement of seeing our boys in Orange. I just don’t know how I’m going to be able to wait for a 9pm kickoff on Sept. 3rd. I’m already pacing the floor.
Sunday also saw the release of the very first preseason AP Poll. There wasn’t much difference in the coaches poll that was released weeks ago. The Tigers got 16 first place votes, and garnered their highest ever pre-season ranking. The writers kept the Tigers where they finished last season, at #2. Bama was #1 with 33 first place votes. Oklahoma, somehow, is ranked 3rd, Florida State is 4th and LSU rounds out the top 5.
must read: An Insider's Look at Auburn's Fall Camp
Keep checking back as Rubbing the Rock will be previewing all of the upcoming games, and keeping you up to date with the latest in recruiting and all things Clemson.