After a fruitful 2018 Orange and White game, Clemson football has laid the foundation for a strong haul in the secondary in the 2019.
Coming into the weekend, the Tigers held only four commits in the 2019 recruiting cycle. That number doubled over the past two days, with Clemson landing a handful of blue-chippers.
The most notable among the recruits is 5-star wide receiver, Frank Ladson and the nation’s No. 1 dual-threat quarterback, Taisun Phommachanh. Clemson also snagged a pair of 3-star defenders, in linebacker Bryton Constantin and corner, Lannden Zanders.
Zanders’ Commitment
Zanders’ pledge gives Clemson two commits in the secondary, 4-star safety, Joseph Charleston being the second.
Charleston is a greedy defensive back prospect with exceptional length. He is similar to current Tiger, AJ Terrell from a physical standpoint.
At 6-foot-1, 189 pounds, Zanders is as rangy as they come at the safety position. As soon as you put on the tape his athleticism and instincts jump out at you. What he may lack in size, he certainly makes up for in explosiveness and top-flight ball skills.
He may only be rated as a 3-star at the moment, but, I expect that to change as the 2019 recruiting cycle comes to a close.
Notable Prospects
Two other premiere defensive backs prospects were on hand for the Tigers’ spring game and they came away impressed. Clemson gained another crystal ball prediction for Archer high school standout, Andrew Booth. The Tigers now hold all three of the crystal ball predictions for the 4-star Peach state native.
Fellow 4-star athlete, DeMarcco Hellams was also on hand. Hellams is a two-way star for DeMatha Catholic high school in Hyattsville, Maryland. At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Hellams has the size to excel at either wide receiver or safety, on the next level.
Next: Trevor Lawrence is more than 'the real deal'
Should the Tigers add both Booth and Hellams to the fold, they will have one of the top defensive back hauls in the nation in the 2019 recruiting cycle.