The Clemson Tigers 2018 recruiting class is off to a scorching start this offseason. Here are the prospects Clemson should put the press on throughout the spring.
The effects of the National Championship are surely being felt in Death Valley, South Carolina at the moment. Over the weekend, Clemson was able to land Xavier Thomas, the No. 2 overall prospect in the country and Braden Galloway the 12th best prospect in the state of South Carolina.
The Tigers do not have the freedom to offer every recruit under the sun do to their lack of seniors entering 2017. Clemson currently has 8 commitments in the 2018 recruiting class and will take anywhere from 5 to 7 more.
With such a strict scholarship limit, Clemson has to be wise with the prospects that they do offer. More importantly, Clemson cannot afford to miss on the prospects they decide to offer. With that in mind, here are the 3 prospects I believe Clemson should go all in on during the remainder of the spring.
Kyler McMichael
Clemson does not have many “holes” on either side of the ball, that being said they must continue to build quality depth on their roster.
Kyler McMichael of Greater Atlanta Christian High School in Norcross, Georgia has offers from over a dozen power-five programs. Clemson is squarely in the mix for McMichael at the moment, however, LSU and Georgia are also hot on his tail.
At nearly 6-foot-1, 200 pounds McMichael is lightning in a bottle. Starring at both running back and corner back for his high school team, McMichael displays his elite speed and knack for making the big play.
Clemson would be a perfect fit for McMichael based on his abilities as an athlete. McMichael has the size, ball skills and tackling ability to play either field-corner, or even safety. Quite honestly, if Clemson cannot land Zamir White – whom I expect to land at Georgia – than McMichael becomes an intriguing option at running back for Clemson.
McMichael’s versatility would allow Clemson to throw him the ball out of the back field, line him up in the slot and use him as a return man.
The Tigers have recruited notoriously good in the state of Georgia under Dabo Swinney, which will serve them well in the recruitment of McMichael. Now is the time to turn up the heat as the Clemson coaching staff begins venturing out to different high schools around the country visiting prospects.
McMichael could fill multiple positions of need for Clemson.
Trey Hill
Clemson’s offensive line is one of the most experienced position groups on the roster coming into the 2017 season, however, they lose right guard Tyrone Crowder at seasons end.
Trey Hil could replace Crowder day-one at Clemson. Though he plays tackle for his high school team, Hill is listed as a guard by majority of the major recruiting sites. I expect Hill to play guard at the next level as well.
At 6-foot-4 nearly 350 pounds, Hill is a mountain of a man, but don’t let his size fool you, he can move. It is paramount that your offensive guards to be able to move, because they are the offensive lineman asked to pull the most. Trey Hill has no problem firing off of the ball.
Championships are won in the trenches and Clemson could sure up their offensive line for the next 3 to 4 seasons by landing Trey Hill. The Tigers have major competition for Hill in the form of the in-state Georgia Bulldogs. At this point it is no surprise to see Clemson and Georgia hashing it out for elite prospects.
The Tigers are also actively recruiting 5-star offensive guard, Jamaree Salyer, however, I prefer Trey Hill after watching tape of the two.
Trey Hill uses great hand placement and leverage when run blocking, once he gets his hands on you its as good as done. Hill’s mean streak is just when Clemson needs on the offensive line.
Tyson Campbell
Corner back is not necessarily a position of need for Clemson, however, Tyson Campbell would fit perfectly into Brent Venables defense.
At 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, Campbell is the prototypical corner. He has the length to disrupt larger receivers off the line of scrimmage and the lateral quickness to move down into the nickel. There are not many 6-foot-2 nickel backs at any level, mainly because they do not have the foot speed to cover smaller slot receivers. Campbell is the exception to that rule.
At the moment LSU is in the lead for Campbell, however, there is still plenty of time left until National Signing Day. Clemson received a visit from Campbell and his American Heritage teammate, Patrick Surtain Jr. for their junior day back in March. The two Floridian’s appeared to enjoy their time in Death Valley.
Landing Campbell would undoubtedly help the Tigers haul in the aforementioned Patrick Surtain Jr. Clemson has a strong pipeline in the state of Florida, which is where current defensive back, Trayvon Mullen hails from.
Next: Former Tiger Adrian Baker to transfer to Oklahoma State.
With Brent Venables and Mike Reed taking the lead in Campbell’s recruitment, I like Clemson’s chances at signing the talented defensive back.