Tag: Antonio Cotman Jr.

Reed ‘loves’ play style of up-and-coming Virginia DB

Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed stopped by Life Christain Academy (Richmond, Va.) a couple of weeks ago. If that school sounds familiar, that’s because it is. The Tigers have previously recruited prospects out of the Virginia-based high school …

Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed stopped by Life Christain Academy (Richmond, Va.) a couple of weeks ago. If that school sounds familiar, that’s because it is. 

The Tigers have previously recruited prospects out of the Virginia-based high school and have done so as recently as this past year Clemson was a finalist in 2023 three-star offensive lineman Joshua Miller’s recruitment, though he ended up verbally pledging to James Franklin and Penn State.

Reed has also spent time recruiting 2023 four-star cornerback Antonio Cotman, Jr., who has recently emerged as one of the fastest-rising defensive back prospects in the country. After he stopped by Life Christian, there appears to be a new prospect on his radar.

Kenneth “BJ” Lowery II, a cornerback in the 2023 class, met with Clemson’s assistant head coach and cornerbacks coach. They sat and talked about coverages, while Reed invited him to come down this spring. According to Lowery, Reed wants to see what his 40-yard dash time would be in person.

He is “definitely” going to make that trip, he told The Clemson Insider.

“I met Coach Reed, the DBs coach, a few weeks back when he came to my school,” Lowery said. “He definitely said he loves how I play downhill, how I’m a solid open-field tackler and good cover corner.”

To get a better understanding of how Lowery is as a person and a player, we reached out to two of his teammates. Both Miller and Cotman talked with TCI and spoke glowingly of Lowery.

“BJ is a natural leader, takes charge and makes sure that the guys are on point,” Miller said. “And, he’s a hell of a player. He’s gonna make that open-field tackle in that 1v1 situation, line up with the best receiver and hold him to minimum stats. As a person, he’s a real loving guy and funny. It’s always a good time around juice. He gets along with everybody and lights up the room with his personality.”

“He’s a craftsman, very patient at the line and loves to get physical,” Cotman added. “Off the field, he’s a very intelligent individual. He has amazing grades and overall a down-to-earth dude!”

Across his junior campaign, Lowery recorded 27 tackles (six for loss), an interception, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a 6% completion percentage in man coverage.

Lowery (5-10, 175) currently holds offers from just Pitt and Campbell University, but it’s only a matter of time before his recruitment takes off.

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4-star corner: ‘the fans, they were amazing’

This talented, fast-rising cornerback in the 2023 class was on hand for Clemson’s 19-13 win over Boston College at Memorial Stadium this past Saturday. Life Christian Academy (Colonial Heights, Va.) four-star Antonio Cotman, Jr. finally got to see …

This talented, fast-rising cornerback in the 2023 class was on hand for Clemson’s 19-13 win over Boston College at Memorial Stadium this past Saturday.

Life Christian Academy (Colonial Heights, Va.) four-star Antonio Cotman, Jr. finally got to see all that Death Valley has to offer.

He caught up with The Clemson Insider regarding his first trip to Tiger Town.

“The fans, they were amazing,” Cotman said. “When we ran up the hill, everybody was giving me high fives when we were walking through the crowd. They treated me like family. They gave me the red carpet treatment basically. They treated me like family.”

What does that mean to Cotman?

“It’s big! That’s all I’m looking for in this recruitment process,” he said. “I’m looking for how they treat me like family? I’m big on relationships, so that’s big for me. They treated me like I was one of their own.”

That’s been what the budding relationship between Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed and Cotman has been all about.

“He definitely was happy to see me,” Cotman said of Reed. “He almost took me out of my seat when he saw me. We were just choppin’ it up, talking about football and how my season’s going. We was talking about how the defense strapped up at the game. He asked me how my dad was doing, how my grandma was doing. He was just asking how my family’s been. We were just having a down-to-earth conversation.”

Cotman has built a unique bond with Reed and judging by what he’s previously said about Clemson’s cornerbacks coach, the reaction he received from him comes as no surprise.

While Cotman had also gotten in contact with Clemson quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter, it was Brent Venables, with who he spent a good amount of time prior to Saturday’s contest.

“Coach Venables, he was really talking to me, like we weren’t even talking about football,” Cotman said regarding his conversation with Clemson’s defensive coordinator. “We really were talking about Coach Dabo, how he treats his players. He wants to get you to the (NFL), but he wants to build you as a man and he’s big on building the man first. It’s good and all to go to the league, but he wants to build you as a man first and it’s all going to fall in line, as you can see. They got multiple players that go to the league and it’s been proven.

“He was just saying that Coach Dabo, all he talks about is positive things. I was in the locker room and Coach Dabo, he had given a speech and he was just so positive and that’s basically what Coach Venables was talking about. He was talking about our season…he’s real down to earth as well.”

Cotman feels like Clemson has “kept it real” with him throughout the duration of his recruitment. He knows that Reed won’t steer him in the wrong direction and that he’ll be 100% honest with him throughout the process.

It’s easy to use his teammate, Joshua Miller, as a good example of staying patient. Miller earned a scholarship offer back on Sept. 2, after being told by Clemson offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell to “stay patient.” 

Though Cotman got in contact with Clemson a tad later, that same message still reigns supreme.

“When it’s my time, it’ll come,” Cotman said of a potential scholarship offer.

In addition to catching up with some coaches, Cotman had the opportunity to speak with Malcolm Greene. The two have Virginia roots with Greene hailing from Highland Springs. The sophomore defensive back didn’t play in Saturday’s game due to an ongoing shoulder injury, but he still caught up with Cotman.

“Me and Malcolm have a dope relationship,” Cotman said. “Me and him, we usually train when he’s in Richmond. He’s like a big bro, basically.”

Circling back to his recruitment, Cotman’s visit to Clemson definitely helped put some things in perspective. With that being said though, he’s keeping his options wide open for the time being.

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Highly touted prospects headed to Death Valley for Clemson-Boston College game

Clemson will again play host to some top prospects for Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. game against Boston College in Death Valley. Here are some of the bigger names The Clemson Insider has confirmed as planned visitors for the Clemson-BC game: A couple of …

Clemson will again play host to some top prospects for Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. game against Boston College in Death Valley.

Here are some of the bigger names The Clemson Insider has confirmed as planned visitors for the Clemson-BC game:

A couple of headliners among the recruits expected to be in attendance are Thomspon (Alabaster, Ala.) five-star defensive lineman Peter Woods, Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.) four-star defensive back Caleb Downs and Auburn (Ala.) High School four-star center Bradyn Joiner.

Woods is the No. 4 defensive lineman and No. 17 overall prospect in the 2023 class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, which also tabs Downs as the No. 2 safety. Rivals ranks Joiner as the No. 1 center in the Class of 2023.

“They care for each player like they’re family,” Downs said of Clemson to TCI last month. “Everything you do, they want you to excel. They want to be there to help you with your ups and downs. It’s just a family there.”

A big-time receiver from North Carolina is slated to be on hand for Saturday’s game as well in Hickory Ridge (Harrisburg, N.C.) four-star Christian Hamilton, the No. 15 wideout and No. 93 overall prospect in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite.

Clemson wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham recently came up to Harrisburg to watch Hamilton play, now the highly-touted wide receiver prospect is returning the favor this weekend. 

“What I’ve been hearing from Coach Grisham is that he thinks I’m an amazing player,” Hamilton told TCI. “He says just be patient with him because he doesn’t just throw out offers. He says (Clemson is) really, really close to offering me and also he wants me to keep in touch with him weekly.”

Among other notable Class of 2023 recruits on Clemson’s anticipated guestlist for Saturday’s contest are two Life Christain Academy (Colonial Heights, Va.) products in three-star offensive lineman Joshua Miller and four-star cornerback Antonio Cotman, Jr.

Miller picked up a Clemson offer back on Sept. 2 and is looking forward to getting back down to Tiger Town for Saturday’s marquee ACC matchup.

“I got a little bit of experience when I was there (in Charlotte), but it not really being a home game, I wasn’t able to get the full experience,” Miller told TCI earlier this month. “So, I’m excited to get down there to Clemson and actually see what an actual game day is like at their home stadium.”

As for Miller’s teammate and good friend, Cotman, he’s been feeling the love from Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed and is looking forward to seeing how the vibe is in Death Valley at Memorial Stadium, he said.

Some other marquee names that will be in attendance from the 2023 class include Sumter (S.C.) 2023 four-star defensive lineman Monteque Rhames, Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.) 2023 running back Jarvis Green and Pendleton (S.C.) 2023 offensive tackle, Aidan Leigh, who is the younger brother of Clemson true freshman offensive lineman Tristan Leigh.

Another name from the 2023 class that recently informed TCI of his incoming arrival is Katy (Tex.) running back Seth Davis, who was invited to the Clemson-BC game by Tigers’ running backs coach C.J. Spiller.

Last but certainly not least is Greenville (S.C.) 2022 tight end Josh Sapp, who is the son of former Clemson and NFL linebacker Patrick Sapp. TCI caught up with the Clemson target earlier this month on stop No. 1 during this season’s edition of The Tour of Champions.

He continues to build a relationship with Clemson offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Tony Elliott.

“Really just keeping in touch and checking up on each other,” Sapp said. “He and my dad have known each other for a while, so I kind of grew up knowing. It’s really just a cool relationship with him.”

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4-star cornerback wants to see how the ‘vibe is at Death Valley’

The Clemson Insider checked back in with this talented, class of 2023 cornerback, who continues to feel the love from Clemson. Life Christian Academy (Colonial Heights, Va.) four-star cornerback Antonio Cotman’s energy is infectious. You can tell by …

The Clemson Insider checked back in with this talented, class of 2023 cornerback, who continues to feel the love from Clemson.

Life Christian Academy (Colonial Heights, Va.) four-star cornerback Antonio Cotman’s energy is infectious.

You can tell by his social media presence. You can tell by the way he responds to questions.

You can almost feel Cotman’s smile over the phone when he’s asked about his relationship with Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed.

“Sometimes Coach Reed, he’ll send me little scriptures, he’ll send me a bible verse or send me motivational stuff to get my day going in the morning,” Cotman told TCI. “We’ll talk throughout the day some days, not every day, but maybe two days out of the week.”

Reed has talked with Cotman about coming to see him play in a game this season, but when that happens remains to be determined.

Going back to the beginning of the month, Cotman was waiting to hear from the Tigers and almost immediately heard from Reed and quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter.

“They’ve just been sending me a lot of edits, showing love,” he said. “Me and Coach Mike Reed are still talking like usual. I just got connected to Coach Streeter. Me and Coach Streeter are starting to talk now.”

Cotman was at the Clemson-Georgia game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, as a guest of the Tigers. 

“It was great,” he said. “It was a great defensive battle between two teams. The DBs were strapping up the offense. The defense played a really big part.”

He’s planning on going to Clemson’s matchup against Boston College on Saturday, Oct. 2.

“I wanna see how the vibe is in Death Valley at Memorial Stadium,” Cotman said.

While he doesn’t have an offer from Clemson, Cotman gets the feeling that the Tigers are really interested in him. He believes that they just want to continue to see how he progresses as his junior season goes on.

“I really think that it’s good. It just shows that they aren’t offering kids just to offer, just because of their name,” he said. It definitely shows that they aren’t offering kids just because of their stars or their hype, they got to actually see what you can do and see if you’re Clemson material.”

Since his last conversation with TCI, Cotman has started to see his recruitment heat up. He’s picked up offers from Boston College, Purdue, West Virginia and Penn State. 

“It’s been expected,” he said. “All the work I’ve done in the weight room. I’ve been anxious for it. So now, my time’s coming. I’ve been putting out all this film. I really couldn’t wait. I was really anxious. I was really starting to wonder if colleges would start pulling the trigger.”

Cotman ranks as the No. 33 cornerback and No. 4 prospect in the state of Virginia for the 2023 class, per Rivals.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

2023 Virginia cornerback getting a ‘good feel’ for Clemson, Reed

This Class of 2023 prospect recently spoke on the phone with Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed. Colonial Heights (Va.) Life Christian Academy 2023 CB Antonio Cotman, Jr. is really starting to come on. His recruitment has begun to heat up and Reed …

This Class of 2023 prospect recently spoke on the phone with Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed.

Colonial Heights (Va.) Life Christian Academy 2023 CB Antonio Cotman, Jr. is really starting to come on. His recruitment has begun to heat up and Reed has definitely taken notice.

Cotman is a physical cornerback, who thrives in man-to-man coverage. He also plays wide receiver for his high school, but his primary focus is on the defensive side of the ball.

He recently caught up with The Clemson Insider regarding his current recruitment and what he’s been hearing from the Tigers lately.

“I got great feedback,” Cotman said regarding his conversation with Reed. “He was talking to my grandma and my father. I was just vibing with him, just catching up with him. It was a great conversation.”

Reed was glad that Cotman called him. 

“I really got a feel for him,” he said. “I like Coach Reed, he really treats me like family. That’s all I can say.”

Cotman has been talking with Reed for some time now, ever since he camped at Clemson this summer. 

“It was a good experience, he was teaching me some techniques at the camps,” Cotman added, regarding his time at Dabo Swinney Camp. “He helped me out.”

According to Cotman, Reed really likes his size, his stature and the way he moves his feet. The one thing he prompted the Virginia prospect to work on was his eyes. 

“When I called him, I told him that I bought a new set of eyes,” Cotman said.

It means a lot to Cotman that Reed wants to get to know him better before that potential offer comes in. He told Cotman that he plans on coming up to Life Christian Academy for a game sometime this upcoming season.

“That’s gonna motivate me to go even harder,” Cotman said on the prospect of Reed coming to see him play.

Clemson is putting corners into the NFL consistently, while also getting high-level cornerbacks to commit to Tiger Town. Being recruited by the Tigers and Reed clearly means something to Cotman.

“It means a lot, it really does, that they’re coming out and showing love to me,” Cotman said. “It’s really big because a few years back, I didn’t think I was going to be in the position. It’s a shock.”

During his conversation with TCI, Cotman was on the road to Boston College. After his visit to Chestnut Hill, he left with another offer in hand as his recruitment continues to heat up.

Prior to the pandemic, Cotman didn’t have any offers. In addition to BC, he also holds offers from Liberty, Maryland and Virginia Tech.

“It’s been a great experience,” he said. “Me and my father are traveling the world. We get to see new places, it’s amazing.”

With that being said, what is Cotman looking for in a school at the next level?

“The most important thing is building relationships for me,” Cotman said,” Like really get to know me, get to know my family. If you know my mom, you get in a good relationship with my mom, that really does real big for me.”

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!