Clemson Football: What are the Tigers’ getting in 4-star 2019 commit?
Clemson football landed its first commitment in the 2019 recruiting class from 4-star safety, Joseph Charleston. Here’s what the Tigers are getting in Charleston.
You know the old saying, “the rich get richer.” Well, it certainly holds true for Clemson. The Tigers ventured into the state of Georgia once again, pulling out a long, physical safety in the process.
Joseph Charleston stars for Milton high school in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Strengths:
Charleston is physically mature for his age. Standing, 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, he has phenomenal size for a safety. Brent Venables has shown his affinity for larger safeties with guys like Jayron Kearse, Tanner Muse and Isaiah Simmons. Charleston is next in line.
The Georgia native displays a high football IQ, always positioning himself around the football. His biggest strength is his physicality. Charleston is a sure tackler, who takes good angles to the football.
Player comparison: TJ Green, Clemson (2013-15)
Due to his blend of size and range, Joseph Charleston compares favorably to former Tiger, TJ Green. Green is slightly taller than Joseph at 6-foot-3, however, both have long, wiry frames. Green, though he started out his career as a wide receiver, was a terrific tackler. During his junior season, he finished second on the team with 95 total tackles and led the team in solo tackles with 67.
Charleston has an opportunity to become the same type of player at Clemson. His natural instincts and closing speed allow him to play close to the line of scrimmage and chase down ball carriers. With two years left of high school, he may grow to be bigger than Green.
Charleston isn’t the first defensive back the Tigers have pulled from the Atlanta area and he won’t be the last. Clemson signed, AJ Terrell of Westlake high school and LeAnthony Williams Jr. of Roswell high school in the 2017 recruiting cycle. Both look to be promising players, in fact Terrell has already cracked Clemson’s talented rotation of corner backs.
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Clemson is also recruiting 2019 defensive backs, Andrew Booth of Archer high school and DJ Turner II of North Gwinnett high school, among others.