Clemson football: The one 2022 recruit Tigers can’t afford to lose

The 2022 recruiting cycle hasn’t been the best for the Clemson football program, but the Tigers can still win big before it’s all said and done.

As we head into the summer, Clemson football has just four commitments for the 2022 cycle but every one of the prospects are 4-stars who were heavily recruited.

Still, Tiger fans have had to deal with a few frustrating losses- headlined by 4-star LB Jalon Walker who committed to Georgia earlier this spring- and they’re looking for things to swing back in Clemson’s favor as on-campus visits for prospects will be allowed beginning in just a week.

The one prospect that Clemson football can’t afford to lose in the 2022 recruiting cycle

There is a major interest surrounding 5-star DT Travis Shaw and what his final decision will be. Shaw is said to be heavily considering Clemson and UNC as his top-two, but Georgia is certainly in the race, as well, as we head into the month of June.

While Shaw is absolutely an elite talent and one that the Tigers have heavily targeted, it’s another 5-star who Clemson football simply can’t afford to lose in this cycle: 5-star CB Jeadyn Lukus.

Lukus, an in-state prospect, is said to be a heavy Clemson lean and the Tigers will get him back on campus this coming month. Lukus is rated as the No. 6 overall CB in the country according to 247 Sports’ Composite Player Rankings and the No. 1 overall player in the state of South Carolina.

It’s not just because he’s the top in-state prospect in the nation that the Tigers can’t afford to lose him, though.

As we’ve learned over the past couple of seasons, the major strength of an elite defense in today’s College Football rests on being able to create pressure with edge-rushers and having elite cornerbacks who can match up on an island with receivers.

The Tigers struggled mightily in both of those categories over the course of the 2020 season.

As we look towards the future, though, things are brighter. Clemson is recruiting at a high level and that defensive line is going to be deep for the next couple of seasons. The cornerback room, on the other hand, absolutely needs more depth and it needs a player of Lukus’s caliber.

Lukus has that kind of ‘shutdown’ ability in which he could come and make a major impact right away. The Tigers need athletes on the field in the secondary and he would provide that role in a big way right off the bat, but would also give Clemson a consistent and dependable option as it continues to build its secondary around the changing landscape of CFB in the future.

Clemson football can’t afford to lose out on Lukus. What he means- in terms of in-state notoriety, elite playmaking and ability to make an impact at a much-needed position- simply can’t be understated.