Clemson Football: RB Michel Dukes has the explosiveness to contribute
Clemson football freshman RB Michel Dukes has the explosiveness, athleticism and running ability to become a contributor on the offense.
The 2019 Clemson football recruiting class saw a total of 29 prospects sign National Letters of Intent with the Tigers.
One of the last ones to sign in the class was 3-star RB Michel Dukes. Dukes, a Charleston native, was waiting for a Tiger offer, but didn’t get one until extremely late in the process.
The Tigers were holding out for a couple of other running backs that chose to go elsewhere, but they might’ve found a gem with Dukes.
Today, we conclude our series taking a look at each 2019 Clemson football freshman with a breakdown of running back Michel Dukes.
Talent Analysis:
The main knock on Dukes is that he hasn’t played against elite competition. Playing SCISA football, he hasn’t got the competition on film to compare with some of the other prospects around the country.
Though the competition may not be the most talented, it’s clear that Dukes has something special.
I don’t care if you’re running against the best defense in the nation or the worst, speed and explosiveness stay the same. Dukes has great speed and runs extremely hard. He’s got good vision and is able to make quick decisions, finding the hole and hitting it.
Dukes still will have to work on pass-protection and will need time to adjust to the college level, but he’s definitely more than what his star-rating would indicate.
Next. Ladson, Ngata are X-Factors at WR. dark
Immediate Impact?
Currently, the Tigers have two running backs set in the rotation with Travis Etienne as the starter and Lyn-J Dixon as the backup.
Behind them, Darien Rencher, fellow freshman Chez Mellusi and Dukes will compete for playing time. Dukes will get a chance, without a doubt, to carry the ball a few times this season and he will have an equal opportunity with both Rencher and Mellusi to earn that third-string spot at running back in 2019.