The Clemson football program recently signed four-star wide out, Amari Rodgers in the 2017 recruiting class. Rodgers appears to be a faster version of playmaking slot, Artavis Scott.
Scott was an impact player from the moment he stepped on campus at Clemson, catching 76 passes for 965 yards and 8 touchdowns as a freshman. Standing just 5-foot-10, 190 lbs Scott was shifty in and out of breaks and ran with the power and vision of a running back after the catch.
While Scott may have left for the NFL, the Tigers won’t be missing his playing style. Incoming freshman Amari Rodgers is built from the same mold as Scott. At 5-foot-9 1/2, 221 lbs Rodgers is built like a running back. I expect him to have an immediate impact with his polished route running skills and versatility in the return game.
See also: Trio of recruits from Tennessee will help replace Gallman, Williams and Scott.
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Both Scott and Rodgers have outstanding spacial awareness and they play much bigger than they are. Although Scott and Rodgers displayed some of the same attributes in high school, Rodgers is noticeably bigger and more refined as a wide receiver than Scott was entering his freshman season.
The only glaring difference between Scott and Rodgers is the opportunity for playing time. When Artavis was entering his freshman season, there was much less quality depth at wide receiver, which allowed him to start from day one. Amari on the other hand, is walking into a loaded wide receiver room at Clemson. The Tigers have veteran slot receivers in Hunter Renfrow and Ray-Ray McCloud as well as youngsters, Cornell Powell and T.J. Chase.
When Amari Rodgers gets the opportunity to play, watch closely and you might have a flash back to the days of Artavis Scott.
Next: Projected post-spring offensive depth chart