Clemson Football Recruiting: Tigers done recruiting South Carolina for 2018 cycle?
The Clemson Football program is experiencing unprecedented success on the recruiting trail in the 2018 cycle. The Tigers currently have 10 commitments, five of which are from the Palmetto State.
Related Story: 3 in-state prospects to watch in the 2018 recruiting class
Half of Clemson’s current commits in the 2018 recruiting cycle are from the state of South Carolina. I don’t expect that number to grow between now and National Signing Day. Under Dabo Swinney, the Tigers have taken a more relaxed approach to in-state recruiting.
While some programs look to put a fence around their home state, Clemson cherry picks a few prospects from their backyard each year. Clemson currently holds pledges from 3 of the top 10 in-state prospects in the class of 2018. While that is impressive, the Tigers do not have any priority recruits from South Carolina left on the board in this recruiting cycle.
Notable in-state recruits:
*Channing Tindall (Spring Valley), 4-star LB –
Tindall does hold an offer from Clemson, however, the Tigers are on the outside looking in in his recruitment. Dabo Swinney and company have been placing their attention elsewhere on the defensive side of the ball. The South Carolina Gamecocks are the perceived leader in his recruitment.
*Dakereon Joyner (Fort Dorchester HS), 4-star QB –
Clemson is completely out of the race for this Fort Dorchester product. Joyner is one of the most dynamic athletes in the country, however, Clemson already has their quarterback of the future in Trevor Lawrence. Joyner is set to decide between, South Carolina and NC State on June 18th.
*Kavesz Sherard (T.L. Hanna HS), 3-star OT –
The Tigers have extended an offer to Sherard, but there hasn’t been much else between the two. With the elite out-of-state offensive lineman that Clemson is pursuing, it’s no surprise that they haven’t been very active in their recruitment of Sherard. Much like the other in-state prospects on this list, Sherard is favoring Will Muschamp’s Gamecocks.
*Sam Pinckney (Greenwood HS), 3-star WR –
Sam Pinckney currently holds 9 offers, none of which are from Clemson. I highly doubt the Tigers will offer the Greenwood product as they are currently after a handful of elite wide outs throughout the South. Pinckney is favoring Florida State and LSU at the moment.
2019 and beyond
As of today, Clemson has only offered one in-state prospect in the 2019 recruiting class, T.L. Hanna’s Zacch Pickens. Given the Tigers elite status, I doubt that their recruiting tactics will change within South Carolina. The Palmetto state produces a few elite prospects every cycle, but, not enough to sustain a National Championship-level program.
Next: Tigers 2018 Recruiting - Top 10 Big Board 2.0