A Look Ahead at the 2016 Class
With 7 commitments already in the bag for the 2016 class and the fact that this will be a relatively small class in regards to numbers, there are only a handful of spots left before the Tigers will shut it down. Here's a peak at some of the recruits on the board that Clemson would like to land:
Savion Smith
CB 6-1 175lbs
Teammate of Clemson commitment Tavares Chase and of Clemson target Rahshaun Smith. Savion has seen Clemson a couple times, with his latest trip coming last month for Dabo's first Junior Day. Smith would be the perfect piece to anchor down the Clemson secondary opposite of Mark Fields (2015 signee) for years to come. Most expect Mackensie Alexander to turn pro after the upcoming season, and Smith would help fill the void left by him if he does choose to declare early. While he is thought to be a lean towards FSU the fact that he has one teammate committed and another who is high on Clemson leads me to believe the Tigers will be under serious consideration. Clemson has some work to do, but the foundation is laid for the Tigers to land his commitment.
Confidence: 45%
Rahshaun Smith
LB 6-3 225lbs.
The third member of the "IMG Three" with Tavares Chase and Savion Smith, is extrememly high on the Tigers. While many recruiting services list him as a WDE he is being recruited by Brent Venables as a LB. Smith's athleticism is through the roof and he projects as a pass rushing linebacker. Think of Smith as a more talented Quandon Christian who can tract sideline to sideline with scary speed and power. Oklahoma and Clemson sit atop his list, but in the end I believe he will be a Tiger.
Confidence: 75%
Tre Lamar
LB 6-4 240lbs.
Lamar has been a frequent visitor to TigerTown, and Clemson is thought to be the team to beat for his commitment. Lamar hails from North Georgia, which is an area Clemson has recruited extremely well as of late. At 6-4 240lbs, Lamar is ready to play right now and would likely avoid a redshirt if he signs with Clemson. The Crimson Tide have offered and have some staying power with him, but the opportunity to play early and proximity to home lead me to believe he will end up signing with Clemson. With Skalski committed, if Clemson receives commitments from Smith and Lamar they will be done at LB.
Confidence: 85%
Nyles Pinckney
DT 6-3 285lbs.
Pinckney comes from the the Low-Country and is an important piece for Clemson for two reasons. First off, he is a player at a position of need. Secondly, he is an in-state guy. South Carolina doesn't churn many major FBS prospects each year. Over the past 5 years, Clemson was outrecruited inside of the Palmetto State borders by their rivals in Columbia. Pinckney is thought to favor the Tigers and he will need to be a priority for the staff. At 285lbs as a Junior, he will likely come in ready to crack the 2-deep immediately based on size. If they are able to secure a commitment, then you will see the staff shift their focus to Rashaun Gary (#1 DT) and Julian Rochester (#3 DT).
Confidence: 70%
Parker Boudreaux
OL 6-5 290lbs.
Bourdreaux has nearly 60 scholarship offers at his disposal. He plays with a nasty meanstreak and at 290lbs. he could be a candidate for playing time early on at Clemson. The staff has made the OL a bigger priority as of late and you can be they will be all over the Florida native. Tennessee and Florida are the biggest competition at this point, but Clemson was in on Bourdreaux early and we have seen that strategy pay off repeatedly for the Tigers. A long way to go with this one, but the Tigers have themselves in great position to land another 4-star OL.
Confidence: 55%
Diondre Overton
WR 6-5 195lbs.
Some services have recently reported that Clemson is done recruiting at wideout and I cannot dispute whether that information is correct or not. That leads me to two conclusions: 1) Overton is a silent commit to Clemson and is waiting on the right time to announce. 2) The service is wrong, and Clemson is still actively recruiting Overton. Either way I believe Overton will be a Tiger come February 2016. His size is second to none and he is also quite the star on the hardwood. Whether or not he would try to play two sports and Clemson remains to be seen, but Overton would complete another outstanding WR class at Wide Receiver U.
Confidence: 90%
Jordan Smith
DE 6-6 215lbs.
This could be the hidden gem of the class. Smith has not received a lot of recognition by the various recruiting services, but at 6-6 he boasts a tremendous frame for development. He recently visited Clemson for Junior Day and that visit has put the Tigers out in front for him. Smith has an impressive offer sheet, but the in-state Bulldogs have not joined the party. If Clemson wants him and UGA does not enter the picture I predict he will be a Tiger. A lot could change over the next few months as more offers and interest roll in for him.
Confidence: 50%
Jack DeFoor
OL 6-5 260lbs.
The new year has started off great for DeFoor as he has garnered offers from Clemson, Ole Miss, and Virginia Tech. By looking at his listed weight, he will obviously have some work to do in the weight room and cafeteria but his stock is soaring right now. With Clemson being his first big-time offer you can bet the Tigers will have staying power with the mauler out of Georgia. You can't say enough about this staff's ability to get offers out to kids before everyone else does. DeFoor is another guy to keep an eye on his in-state UGA offers, but if Signing Day were today then DeFoor would be inking with Clemson.
Confidence: 70%
Other recruits to keep an eye on:
OL John Simpson
CB Trayvon Mullen
LB Tobias Little
ATH Korey Charles
DT Antuwan Jackson
DT Rashaun Gary
DT Julian Rochester
OL EJ Price
CB Robbie Robinson
OL Jay Jay McCargo
DE Malik Walker
CB Simeon Gatling
