Tag: David Sanders Jr.

Star-studded visitors headed to Death Valley for Clemson-N.C. State game

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

Clemson will again play host to some top prospects for Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. game against N.C. State at Death Valley.

Here are some of the bigger names The Clemson Insider has confirmed as planned visitors for the Clemson-N.C. State game:

A couple of headliners among the recruits expected to be in attendance are a handful of five-stars in the 2024 and 2025 class, respectively. Jefferson (Ga.) linebacker Sammy Brown, Buford (Ga.) athlete KJ Bolden, Buford (Ga.) linebacker Jadon Perlotte and Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day School offensive tackle David Sanders, Jr.

Sanders is the No. 1 overall player in the 2025 class, per 247Sports, which tabs Bolden and Brown as the No. 1 safety and No. 1 linebacker, respectively, in the 2024 class. 

Clemson, of course, doesn’t offer recruits as young as Sanders, per the program’s policy. But the elite o-line prospect would love to add Clemson to his offer list in the future.

“That offer would mean the world to me,” he told The Clemson Insider back in May. “Clemson is definitely one of the schools that I like the most. So, that offer would mean the world. Knowing the coaches and them knowing my family, that just means even more. And then getting back down there and building that relationship with Coach Swinney and Coach Austin, it would just be great.”

Saturday will be of relative importance for Clemson offensive line coach Thomas Austin, as Clemson is set to host two of the Palmetto State’s top prospects in Woodland (Dorchester, S.C.) four-star offensive tackle Kam Pringle and Dillon (S.C.) four-star offensive tackle Josiah Thompson.

The 247Sports Composite considers Pringle and Thompson to be interchangeable Nos. 1 and 2 in the rankings.

Additionally, Greenville (S.C.) High School four-star Blake Franks is planning to attend Saturday’s game. Franks (6-5, 310) participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp this summer and visited Clemson multiple times since this past March. He received an offer from Clemson in late July.

He has heard from Clemson offensive line coach Thomas Austin and other members of the Tigers’ staff since the calendar turned to Sept. 1, when college coaches across the country could begin directly contacting junior prospects in the class of 2024.

“He (Austin) told me I’m a big priority,” Franks said to TCI recently, “and that he’s going to come to one of our games this year.”

Franks holds more than a dozen scholarship offers, including offers from schools such as Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Penn State and South Carolina along with Clemson.

He told TCI earlier this month that while he didn’t know at the time which schools comprise his top five, he definitely thinks Clemson “is high up there” on his list.

Perhaps the most intriguing prospect on the offensive side of the football that will be in The Valley this Saturday is Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day School 2024 four-star quarterback Jake Merklinger. 

The top-100 national recruit and the No. 9 ranked quarterback in the 2024 class per the 247Sports Composite rankings, has made three trips to Clemson in the last calendar year. While he hasn’t yet boasted an offer from the Tigers, he is firmly on their radar and moved up their recruiting board after his performance at Swinney Camp earlier this summer.

A couple of big-time receiver prospects are expected to be on hand as well in Burlington (N.C.) Hugh M. Cummings four-star Jonathan Paylor, Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.) four-star Alex Taylor,  Cass (Cartersville, Ga.) four-star Sacovie White and King George (Va.) three-star Mekhai White.

The Clemson Insider originally reported that Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas four-star James Madison II would be in attendance, but his status for Saturday’s game is currently unknown with Hurricane Ian lashing through Florida.

Clemson will also play host to Perry (Ga.) Dakari Anderson, an intriguing receiver prospect in the class of 2024, holds a lone offer from Texas A&M. 

Carrollton (Ga.) 2024 four-star tight end Caleb Odom announced that he will be in The Valley this weekend. Odom, who is considered to be a top-15 tight end in his class by the 247Sports Composite rankings, told The Clemson Insider back in August that he had been invited to some camps, but there was no hard interest from the Tigers just yet.

That appears to have changed as Odom, who will be at Saturday’s contest versus N.C. State, said that this weekend is “gonna be crazy.”

Switching over to the defensive side of the football, one of the top defensive back prospects planning to visit Clemson for Saturday’s game is Tavoy Feagin, a four-star cornerback from Carrollwood Day School in Tampa, Fla.

Feagin, a 6-foot, 170-pound junior, was the first player at his position to receive an offer from Clemson when the Tigers began dispensing offers to class of 2024 recruits back on June 1.

After traveling to Clemson for an unofficial visit in early March, Feagin made his way back to campus on June 2. Later in June, he included the Tigers among his top 10 schools, along with Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, North Carolina, Ohio State and Oklahoma.

“The reason why I put Clemson in my top 10 was because I really like the coaching staff and the atmosphere,” he said to TCI after dropping the list.

Feagin is ranked as high as the No. 73 overall prospect in the 2024 class by 247Sports.

The other top defensive back prospect that will be in attendance is Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith four-star cornerback Asaad Brown.

Brown — ranked as the nation’s No. 9 cornerback and No. 116 overall prospect in the class of 2024 by 247Sports — dropped a top-10 list earlier this month featuring Clemson along with Arkansas, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, LSU, Florida State, North Carolina, NC State and Penn State.

Among other notable recruits on Clemson’s anticipated guest list for Saturday’s game are Central (S.C.) D W Daniel 2023 wide receiver Jaylen Brown-Wallace, Lawrenceville (Ga.) 2024 four-star defensive lineman Justin Greene, Buford (Ga.) 2024 four-star defensive end KingJoseph Edwards, Chattanooga (Tenn.) Christian School 2024 four-star athlete Boo Carter, Pike Road (Ala.) 2024 four-star defensive lineman Malik Blocton, Taylor (Katy, TX.) 2024 three-star tight end Ian Flynt, Ponte Vedra (Fla.) 2024 three-star offensive lineman Jake Guarnera, Hough (Cornelius, N.C.) kicker Nolan Hauser, Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.) 2024 RB Turbo Richard, Lynchburg (Va.) Liberty Christian Academy 2025 four-star running back Gideon Davidson, 2025 Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Georgia) School 2025 tight end Marshall Pritchett, Buford (Ga.) 2026 defensive lineman Bryce Perry-Wright and Cass (Cartersville, Ga.) 2026 quarterback Brodie McWhorter.

Clemson 2023 quarterback commitment Christopher Vizzina of Birmingham (Ala.) Briarwood Christin School, offensive line commit Harris Sewell of Permian (Odessa, TX.), defensive end commit AJ Hoffler of College Park (Ga.) Woodward Academy, linebacker commit Jamal Anderson of Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek and offensive line commit Ian Reed of Vandegrift (Austin, TX.) will also be in The Valley on Saturday.

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Clemson offer ‘would mean the world’ to big-time Tar Heel State OL

This big-time offensive line prospect from the Tar Heel State has made a couple of visits to Clemson this spring, and the Tigers paid him a visit at his high school during the ongoing spring evaluation period. Members of Clemson’s staff, including …

This big-time offensive line prospect from the Tar Heel State has made a couple of visits to Clemson this spring, and the Tigers paid him a visit at his high school during the ongoing spring evaluation period.

Members of Clemson’s staff, including offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter, are among the coaches that have recently stopped by Providence Day School (Charlotte, N.C.) – home to David Sanders Jr., a 6-foot-7, 250-pound freshman in the 2025 class with close to 20 scholarship offers already under his belt.

“A lot of schools have been up there like every day,” Sanders told The Clemson Insider. “We also lift every day after school, so they usually come to the lifts and watch us get after it.”

“Clemson is one of those schools that came up,” he added. “I know Texas A&M’s been up here, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Coastal Carolina, Penn State … LSU as well.”

Sanders certainly appreciates the fact that Clemson is showing interest and made that interest known by checking up on him at his school.

“That definitely means a lot, that they’re really interested in me as a player and just to see my growth and development,” he said. “To make their way up to Providence Day, that means a lot to know that they truly want to see how I’m doing and how I’m doing at school. So, that means a lot to me.”

College coaches aren’t allowed to speak with Sanders at his school, nor can college coaches initiate contact with class of 2025 recruits such as Sanders off of college campuses.

However, coaches can pick up the phone when prospects call them, so Sanders makes an effort to stay in touch with Clemson offensive line coach Thomas Austin on a regular basis, and the two have been building a strong bond.

Providence Day School (Charlotte, N.C.) 2025 OL David Sanders Jr. during pregame of  Clemson’s spring game Saturday, April 9, 2022 at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium. Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider

“I usually call him every two or three weeks just to catch up on some stuff,” Sanders said. “Since I’m class of 2025, they can’t contact me. So, I have to call them through my coach, and they’ll pick up and we can have a conversation.”

“I think our relationship is great,” he continued. “It’s going to be good to see how that builds over the next few years. He seems like a great guy, and then with him being the offensive line coach, it’ll be a great opportunity for me to get to know him as a person more than just a football coach. And then just to see how he operates outside of football is also a great thing to me. … He’s just asking me how school’s going and how the family’s doing. So, that means a lot to know that he’s interested in everybody and not just me as a football player.”

Sanders made his first-ever visit to Clemson on March 12 for the Tigers’ underclassmen day, then returned to campus for the second time in as many months when he attended the Orange & White spring game on April 9.

Asked what stood out to him about the spring game visit, Sanders replied, “Definitely the fan support.”

“I mean, the spring game, there was plenty of people there just for the spring game, so that shows how much the student fan base and just the fan base period, how much they cared about the program,” he said. “And how Dabo and the rest of the team, they just embraced everybody that was there.”

Sanders hasn’t completely planned out his summer camp schedule yet but said, “Clemson might have to be one of the stops, for sure.” He named Georgia, Alabama and Michigan as a few of the other schools he is looking to camp at and/or visit.

Sander’s offer sheet includes schools such as Michigan, Penn State, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss, South Carolina, North Carolina, NC State, Wake Forest, Florida State, Louisville, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

Clemson, of course, doesn’t offer recruits as young as Sanders, per the program’s policy. But the elite O-line prospect would love to add Clemson to his offer list in the future.

“That offer would mean the world to me,” he said. “Clemson is definitely one of the schools that I like the most. So, that offer would mean the world. Knowing the coaches and them knowing my family, that just means even more. And then getting back down there and building that relationship with Coach Swinney and Coach Austin, it would just be great.”

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Clemson leaves big impression on one of nation’s top young O-linemen

Clemson made a huge impression recently while playing host to one of the nation’s top young offensive line prospects, who hails from the Tar Heel State. Providence Day School (Charlotte, N.C.) offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. – a 6-foot-6, …

Clemson made a huge impression recently while playing host to one of the nation’s top young offensive line prospects, who hails from the Tar Heel State.

Providence Day School (Charlotte, N.C.) offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. – a 6-foot-6, 250-pound freshman in the 2025 class with double-digit Division I scholarship offers – made his first-ever visit to campus on Saturday, March 12 for the Tigers’ underclassmen day.

“I really enjoyed the whole entire visit. It was very nice,” Sanders told The Clemson Insider recently. “Since it was my first time, I got to see the school part of it and the athletic side of it. So, that was pretty cool. Getting to meet all the coaches, (offensive line) coach (Thomas) Austin and coach (Dabo) Swinney, that was a cool experience as well. And also being able to watch that practice and see how everybody gets after it, that was a cool experience. So, I enjoyed the entire thing, and just being around some of the other top prospects around the country, getting to meet some of those guys and just introducing myself to everybody else and getting to know everybody.”

Meeting Clemson’s head man and taking in the Tigers’ spring practice were among Sanders’ favorite parts of the visit.

“The highlight of the day was probably getting to talk to Coach Swinney for a little bit, and also watching practice,” he said. “I’ve really been watching Coach Swinney a long time, like on TV and everything. So, it was nice to get to talk to him and get to know him a little bit. Also getting out to practice, and we got to watch our specific position groups. So, it wasn’t like we were standing out at practice just watching everybody. I got to go specifically to the offensive line and watch how they do the different drills and just the motor that everybody has on the offensive line to see how I would fit at the school. So, that was pretty cool.”

Sanders sees similarities between his head coach at Providence Day and Swinney, the type of coach that Sanders can envision himself suiting up for down the road.

“My overall impression of him, he’s a very heady guy,” Sanders said of Swinney. “He’s a person of Christ. He talked a lot about God. He was also a very nice guy, upbeat type of coach. He reminds me a lot of my high school coach, Coach (Chad) Grier. So, I can see myself working with him for the next three or four years as I enter college. We kind of talked about just getting up to the campus, getting to know Coach Austin, who is the offensive line coach at Clemson, just building a relationship with him early. Even though they don’t offer early as like 2025s and 2024s, but still being able to build that relationship with him and my position coach, I think that was very important to me and that stuck out a lot – even though they don’t offer early, they still want to build that connection and bond with you as a high school athlete.”

Speaking of Austin, Sanders has been in communication with him since he formally took over as the Tigers’ offensive line coach earlier this year, but the March 12 visit marked their first time meeting in person.

“He asked me how my family was, about what I had aspirations of when I get to college and what I wanted to do just outside of the athletic part of it, and I really liked that about the coaches also at Clemson,” Sanders said. “They want to know more about you and your personal life more than what you can do for them on the field. So, Coach Austin was definitely a good guy. He just got the job in January and he has a long-term contract with Clemson, so I’m looking forward to building that bond with him and getting to know him a lot.”

Sanders took notice of and liked seeing how Austin went about coaching his O-linemen throughout the practice.

“I also looked at the way he treated his players during practice,” Sanders said. “He kept a smile on his face. He didn’t really yell at them; he was more so just teaching. They have a lot of young guys on the team, so it’s really just taking it step-by-step and building them. So, it’ll be nice to see a lot of the freshmen and sophomores they have right now, how he grooms them and builds them to be better men as they become seniors.”

Georgia gave Sanders his latest offer on March 9, joining NC State, Duke, Florida State, Louisville, South Carolina, Michigan, Maryland, West Virginia and East Carolina on his offer list.

Sanders said his recruitment is “still pretty wide open right now, and I’m pretty much keeping my options open just because I’m still a freshman.”

As Sanders alluded to above, the Tigers typically don’t offer a prospect any sooner than the summer before their junior year. But getting an offer from Clemson in the future, he said, “would obviously be a tremendous honor.”

“That would be one of the most memorable moments of my life,” he added. “If I was to get an offer from Clemson, they’d be one of the top schools on my list, for sure. But I also like that even though they’re not offering, they still invited the freshmen and sophomores to the junior day to get that experience and get to know you as a person. So, I feel like once I get that offer, then I’ll already have that connection with the school and with the program to make it easier to make that decision to go to Clemson.”

Sanders also recently visited Duke and plans to check out Georgia and Alabama in the not-too-distant future. He is planning to return to Clemson for the April 9 spring game, and said he expects to camp at schools such as South Carolina, NC State and North Carolina over the summer.

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