Clemson Football: What recent RB commit Mellusi brings to the Tigers

Clemson football recently secured a commitment from 4-star running back, Cesare “Chez” Mellusi. Here’s what the Florida native will bring to Death Valley.

Clemson’s hot streak on the recruiting trail continued following their 2018 Orange and White game. This time around, the Tigers’ dipped into the Sunshine state for a blue-chip running back prospect.

Mellusi’s pledge gives Clemson 9 commits thus far in the 2019 recruiting cycle. Dabo Swinney and his staff continue to do a wonderful job of working the pipeline they have within the state of Florida. Former stars such as CJ Spiller, Sammy Watkins and Deon Cain certainly make Death Valley appealing to recruits from that same area.

Mellusi’s Skillset

Similar to current Tiger, Travis Etienne, Mellusi is a bigger back whom plays in a triple-option offense. Etienne is certainly proof that you can make an impact early on, despite playing in an old-school offensive system in high school.

At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds Mellusi is a long-strider with a lanky frame. While he doesn’t have the top end speed of Etienne and Tavien Feaster, he is a physical, downhill runner. The most impressive aspect of his game is his constant forward lean. Often coaches harp on getting a good forward lean when running the ball, to maintain a low center of gravity against would-be tacklers and protect the football on impact.

His running style reminds me of former blue-chip recruit, Ty Isaac, whom originally signed with USC, before transferring to Michigan. Issac also played in a triple-option offense in high school and is also a big running back with deceptive speed.

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With Feaster, Etienne and Lyn-J Dixon set to be on roster when Mellusi gets to Death Valley, it’ll be interesting to see how he is integrated into the offense. There certainly won’t be a lack of talent in Clemson’s backfield over the next few seasons.