We wanted to pass along some intel we’ve compiled after speaking with a defensive tackle target that predates Brent Venables’ departure to Oklahoma.
The Clemson Insider recently caught up with Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) three-star defensive lineman Ahmad Moten. Clemson had expressed interest in Moten — a former teammate of Clemson freshman receiver Troy Stellato — dating back to last month.
He’s the definition of a late bloomer and has recently picked up offers from Oregon, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Miami, Georgia Tech, LSU and UNC, all coming in the span of a month.
“It’s crazy, but I love it though,” Moten said of his recruitment heating up over the last couple of months. “It’s overwhelming, of course, but it’s a good problem. Even if you had a problem, it’s a problem you’d like to have.”
In the wake of Venables leaving for Norman, Moten has since picked up an offer from the Sooners and took in an in-home visit with newly minted Oklahoma defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis. Moten also took an official visit to Iowa State this past weekend.
Now, you may be asking, where does Clemson stand in the mix of Moten’s recruitment?
“The last time I talked with [Clemson] was when I talked to Coach [Todd] Bates when Coach Venables made the move,” he said. “That’s about it.”
Bates’ message to Moten?
“He said that he loves me as a player, that he loves my game and that I’m a good player that’s gonna make it big,” Moten added. “He was just showing a lot of love.”
To Moten, Clemson’s defensive tackles coach and recruiting coordinator reaching out means that the Tigers’ interest in him was really genuine.
“It shows that [Clemson] is really interested in me,” he added. “They really like how I play. They like me as a person. I can tell they genuinely want me at their program. That’s lit. That’s what’s up.”
Bates was in attendance for Moten’s playoff game on Friday, Dec. 3.
“I can see him watch me play,” he said of Bates. “I can see that he actually enjoys the game and all that. He obviously had some good words to say back to Clemson and say to Coach Venables.”
Venables had told Moten to remain patient and that an offer would be on the way. Well, Clemson’s former defensive coordinator made his move and ultimately offered Moten on the morning of Dec. 7, just a couple of days into his tenure as Oklahoma’s head coach.
We’ll have to see how the rest of Moten’s recruitment plays out, but at the moment, he hasn’t scheduled an official visit with Clemson.
He’ll be taking his recruitment well into the new year. Moten has no timetable for a decision, but he will obviously be signing come National Signing Day on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022.
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