Tag: Friday Night Lights

This 4-star DL is looking into a return a visit to the Swamp

Florida is hoping to get four-star defensive lineman Xzavier McLeod back in town for the recruiting cookout this weekend. It would be his second trip to the Swamp.

Another blue-chip recruit is considering attending Florida’s recruiting cookout on Saturday, the day after the Gators host the annual Friday Night Lights camp. Four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Xzavier McLeod[/autotag] told Gators Online that he “might be” in attendance this weekend for his second visit to the Swamp.

The last time he was in town was at the beginning of April, a few weeks after he picked up a scholarship offer, and the returns seemed to be in Florida’s favor.

“Florida is one of the best visits, but it was professional,” McLeod said to On3’s Jeremy Johnson following the trip. “I understood where I stand and how I can impact the program, where I can play. It’s good to be informed on these things because you’re not trying to feel unwelcome in a school’s atmosphere or environment. I try to feel as comfortable and be myself as much as I can.”

Florida impressed McLeod enough to warrant a spot in his top six that came out in late June. Florida has some catching up to do, though. He’s already taken official visits to LSU and Michigan, and Georgia has hosted him six times only to be bested by South Carolina’s absurd total of nine visits.

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If Napier’s staff can impress him once again over the weekend, there’s a chance McLeod uses one of his three remaining official visits on Florida. It’s safe to assume that the Bulldogs and Gamecocks will each get one based on the number of trips he’s already made to each school, so the Gators are really competing for that last spot.

McLeod is ranked No. 197 overall on the On3 consensus and No. 26 among defensive linemen in the class of 2023. South Carolina is a 75.8% favorite right now to land the in-state recruit.

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Nation’s top cornerback recruit planning return date to the Swamp

Florida is staying close with the top cornerback of 2023, Cormani McClain. He’s looking at the end of July to return to the Swamp.

The top defensive back in the class of 2023 is still considering Florida, but it looks like five-star cornerback [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] will make a decision closer to the end of the year rather than the end of summer date he teased back in spring. He now plans to take official visits over the season and decide around December, according to Swamp247.

McClain also is likely to attend Florida’s upcoming Friday Night Lights camp on July 29, but he said that the trip is not official just yet. Speaking of visits that are official, McClain made his way down to Miami in June for his first of five OVs. Alabama will get the second one on October 5 when the Crimson Tide hosts Texas A&M, and Florida and Georgia should get one as well.

The Gators have kept close with McClain, especially cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag]. It was Raymond who helped Billy Napier reel in [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] last cycle and his reputation as an elite defensive backs coach is a big plus for McClain.

“Coach C-Ray, me and him have a great relationship,” McClain said to 247Sports. “I think it’s there. He produced a lot of great athletes. I look to Coach C-Ray as one of those guys that I know is going to get your to the league and the things you need to get there.”

The 247Sports composite ranks McClain No. 3 overall and No. 1 among cornerbacks in the class of 2023. He’s also the top-ranked player in the state of Florida out of Lakeland High.

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2024 4-star RB recruit is returning to the Swamp at the end of July

2024 four-star running back Chauncey Bowens will be in town for Florida’s Friday Night Lights camp and the recruiting cookout at the end of July.

Four-star running back [autotag]Chauncey Bowens[/autotag] has already been to Gainesville three times in 2022, and now he’s scheduled his next trip to the Swamp. On Monday, Bowens tweeted out that he’d be in town from July 29-30. Those are the dates of Florida’s Friday Night Lights camp and recruiting cookout.

It’ll be Bowens’ second trip of the summer after stopping by UF on June 22 and picking up a scholarship offer. On3’s Gators Online spoke to him following the visit and learned that he thinks very highly of the program. He also has family in Gainesville.

“It’s just one of those elite schools, one of those elite programs you want to play for,” Bowens said to GO.

Auburn, Florida State, Miami, West Virginia and UCF are among his other current offers, but Florida’s the only program to get him on campus more than once so far. It’s still very early in the process for Bowens through. A decision isn’t expected for at least a year.

“I know it’s really early, but I feel like Florida will definitely be a top-five, top-10 school for me just going off the history and the relationship I’m building with the coaches,” he said. “So I know it’s a little early, but we’ll see.”

It looks like things are going well so far with Bowens, but Miami could ramp things up quickly being a much closer drive than UF. Still, On3’s recruiting prediction machine has the Gators leading the pack with a 49.0% chance to land the rising junior.

Bowens is ranked No. 258 overall on the On3 consensus and is No. 18 among running backs in the class of 2024. The site’s individual rankings are a bit more bullish on him, placing Bowens at no. 159 nationally and No. 10 at his position.

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Gators to get visits from these two 5-star defensive linemen in July

Things will be cooking in Gainesville for Friday Night Lights weekend at the end of July.

Now that the calendar has turned over after a busy month of June for Florida football’s recruiting staff the next big date on the horizon is the Gators’ Friday Night Lights weekend, which will be held on the final weekend of July. Among the many planning on attending the festivities are a pair of five-star defensive linemen in the 2023 class who could make huge waves in Gainesville.

[autotag]James Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaquavious Russaw[/autotag], both teammates at Montgomery (Alabama) Carver, are slated to join the crowd that weekend according to Swamp247. It will be the first visit, as well as one of the unofficial variety, for the two standouts to the Swamp but that has not prevented the Orange and Blue from climbing the leaderboards for the two blue-chip prospects.

The pair have already unofficially ventured to the campuses of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, Texas A&M Aggies and Miami Hurricanes during the spring and early summer, while spending their lone official visit to Athens to check out the Georgia Bulldogs on June 17.

Smith, a 6-foot-4-inch, 310-pound who is among the very best at his position, currently ranks No. 13 overall and No. 2 at defensive lineman nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 6 and 1, respectively. The Tide currently holds a narrow lead over UGA on On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine at 47.2% and 40.3%, respectively.

Russaw, a 6-foot-2-inch, 230-pound EDGE rusher, is currently ranked No. 27 overall and No. 4 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 23 and 3, respectively. Similar to Smith, both the ‘Dawgs and ‘Bama are in the hunt for the young man’s talents, but the former holds the lead in this chase with a 49.8% chance of signing him while the latter sits a bit back at 32.9%.

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Friday Night Lights: Sabb, Randall lead future Tigers with impressive performances

A bunch of Clemson commitments shined with standout performances in their respective teams’ games this weekend. Four-star linebacker pledge Jaren Kanak put together another dominant performance, but it wasn’t enough as Hays (KS.) fell 61-40 to …

A bunch of Clemson commitments shined with standout performances in their respective teams’ games this weekend.

Four-star linebacker pledge Jaren Kanak put together another dominant performance, but it wasn’t enough as Hays (KS.) fell 61-40 to Wichita Northwest (Wichita, KS.). Kanak recorded 176 yards on the ground and three rushing touchdowns (3, 30 and 54 yards) in the first half, but came up lame on his final score before halftime. Kanak tossed two touchdown passes, as well, but it wasn’t enough, as Hays was unable to hold off a second-half comeback.

Four-star wide receiver pledge Adam Randall did it all against South Florence. In Myrtle Beach’s (S.C.) 21-17 win on Friday, Randall accounted for all three of his team’s touchdowns. He threw a 15-yard touchdown pass on a trick play and had two rushing touchdowns (1 and 45 yards). While it was a relatively low-scoring affair and Randall had just 110 yards of total offense, the receiver commit was the difference in his team’s 4-point victory.

In other action, the IMG trio of four-star pledges DE Jihaad Campbell, CB Daylen Everette and S Keon Sabb faced off against East St. Louis (IL.) and fellow Clemson cornerback commit, four-star Toriano Pride.

Campbell recorded a sack and Sabb had a 99-yard pick-six to give IMG an early 7-0 lead. They’d go on to win in dominating fashion, 49-8.

As for Greenville’s (S.C) three-star tight end pledge Josh Sapp, in his first game since committing to Clemson, the legacy recruit had just two catches for 16 yards. Sapp and four-star offensive tackle pledge Collin Sadler were unable to help hold off Greenwood (S.C.), which narrowly won 30-29 and improved to 7-1 on the season.

Here are other scores from games involving Clemson commits this weekend:

S Sherrod Covil, Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) – 51-13 win vs. Nansemond River (Suffolk, Va.)

CB Jeadyn Lukus, Mauldin (S.C.) – 38-28 win vs. Woodmont (Piedmont, S.C.)

OT Blake Miller, Strongsville (Oh.) – 31-14 loss vs. Brunswick (Oh.)

*Both Westlake (Austin, TX.) five-star quarterback commit Cade Klubnik and Pinellas Park (Largo, Fla). three-star kicker Robert Gunn III are still currently sidelined with injuries.

Stay tuned to The Clemson Insider each week as we keep you updated on the performances of Clemson commits in our “Friday Night Lights” feature.

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

Friday Night Lights: Kanak, Randall lead future Tigers with dominant performances

A bunch of Clemson commitments shined with standout performances in their respective teams’ games this weekend. Four-star linebacker pledge Jaren Kanak continues to be a dominant force under center. He’s filled in at quarterback for Hays (KS.) and …

A bunch of Clemson commitments shined with standout performances in their respective teams’ games this weekend.

Four-star linebacker pledge Jaren Kanak continues to be a dominant force under center. He’s filled in at quarterback for Hays (KS.) and hasn’t missed a beat. He led Hays to a 47-43 win over Maize South (Wichita, KS.) with three rushing touchdowns (6, 30 and 74 yards). He totaled 195 yards on the ground, adding a 31-yard touchdown pass and a crucial two-point conversion.

Four-star wide receiver commit Adam Randall once again got it done. In Myrtle Beach (S.C.)’s 48-6 win over Wilson High School (Florence, S.C.), Randall finished the contest with six catches for 208 receiving yards, which all came in the first half. He also scored three touchdowns.

In other action, four-star safety pledge Sherrod Covil of Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) recorded five total tackles (two for loss) and two pass break-ups in a 49-7 win over King’s Fork (Suffolk, Va.)

Additionally, four-star corner pledge Toriano Pride of East St. Louis (IL.) recorded five total tackles in a 58-0 win over Edwardsville (IL.).

As far as the trio of IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) commits is concerned, four-star defensive end pledge Jihaad Campbell recorded a sack and a batted pass, while four-star corner pledge Daylen Everette had an interception and a pass breakup in a 24-14 win over St. Thomas More (Oakdale, CT.)

Also, four-star safety pledge Keon Sabb added a couple of tackles in the 10-point victory.

Here are other scores from games involving Clemson commits this weekend:

  • OT Blake Miller, Strongsville (Oh.) – 21-6 loss vs. Mentor (Oh.)

*Both Westlake (Austin, TX.) five-star quarterback commit Cade Klubnik and Pinellas Park (Largo, Fla). three-star kicker Robert Gunn III are currently sidelined with injuries.

On the other hand, five-star corner pledge Jeadyn Lukus and four-star tackle pledge Collin Sadler had off this Friday, as both Mauldin (S.C.) and Greenville (S.C.) were out of action.

Stay tuned to The Clemson Insider each week as we keep you updated on the performances of Clemson commits in our “Friday Night Lights” feature.

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

Friday Night Lights: Future Tigers shine with strong performances

A bunch of Clemson commitments shined with standout performances in their respective teams’ games this weekend. Four-star linebacker pledge Jaren Kanak continues to be a dominant force as his team’s starting quarterback. Kanak led Hays (KS.) to a …

A bunch of Clemson commitments shined with standout performances in their respective teams’ games this weekend.

Four-star linebacker pledge Jaren Kanak continues to be a dominant force as his team’s starting quarterback. Kanak led Hays (KS.) to a 39-17 win at Dodge City (KS.) with three rushing touchdowns (1, 31 and 46 yards) and two touchdown passes (9 and 73 yards).

As for the actual quarterback commit in this class, Clemson five-star commit Cade Klubnik, who plays quarterback for Westlake (Austin, TX.) passed for 159 yards and a touchdown on an 8-of-13 clip. He also added six rushes for 46 yards and a touchdown. Klubnik helped lead Westlake to a 35-0 shutout win over Bowie (Austin, TX.) He did however leave the game with an injured non-throwing shoulder. He should be back in a couple of weeks, though, and told TCI that he’s “feeling good.”

While those future Tigers got it done through the air and the ground, four-star wide receiver commit Adam Randall once again gashed opposing defenses. Randall was used as an offensive weapon as helped Myrtle Beach (S.C.) outlast Hartsville (S.C.) in a 47-13 blowout. Randall found the end zone on a five-yard touchdown run. He added 80+ receiving yards and 10 rushing yards.

In other action, four-star corner pledge Toriano Pride of East St. Louis (IL.) recorded five total tackles and an interception in a 68-0 win over Alton (IL.)

Here are other scores from games involving Clemson commits this weekend:

CB Jeadyn Lukus, Mauldin (S.C.) – 43-22 loss vs. T.L. Hanna (Anderson, S.C.)

OT Blake Miller, Strongsville (Oh.) – 28-27 win vs. Euclid (Oh.)

K Robert Gunn III, Pinellas Park (Largo, Fla.) – 44-10 win vs. St. Petersburg (Fla.)

* IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Greenville (S.C.) and Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) were out of action on Friday, Oct. 8, meaning that Clemson commits DE Jihaad Campbell, CB Daylen Everette, ATH Keon Sabb, OT Collin Sadler and S Sherrod Covil all did not play.

Stay tuned to The Clemson Insider each week as we keep you updated on the performances of Clemson commits in our “Friday Night Lights” feature.

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

Texas Longhorns 2021 commit has big game in season opener

Texas Longhorns 2021 commit Jonathan Brooks had a big night in the season debut. He made an impact on both offense and defense.

Texas high school football returned on Friday night for some schools in the state. One of the schools that returned to the field was Halletsville High School. 2021 three-star running back and Texas commit Jonathan Brooks had himself quite a season debut against Shiner.

Brooks scored a total of three times in the game on offense and on defense returning a fumble for another. He carried the ball 16 times for 142 yards and three touchdowns. His touchdown runs came from 1, 18 and 26 yards out. Brooks scoop and score on the fumble was 51 yards according to the Victoria Advocate.

Unfortunately for Brooks and Halletsville, they came out on the losing side after a late interception sealed the deal for Shiner. Last year Brooks finished as the district MVP and helped lead the team to a 11-3 record and a trip to the state quarterfinals.

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Teddy Bridgewater makes ‘Friday Night Lights’ hat tip to Taysom Hill

New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater made a creative salute to Taysom Hill after his huge day against the Atlanta Falcons

There are few rooms around the NFL stocked with as much talent as the New Orleans Saints boast at quarterback, much less the chemistry those players share. Sure, Drew Brees is the unquestioned leader in the building and the face of the franchise — but both of his backups have stepped up to help their team when called upon, and they clearly appreciate each other.

That was clear after versatile reserve Taysom Hill scored two touchdowns (one through the air, another on the ground) and blocked the Atlanta Falcons’ first punt in their game on Thanksgiving. After the game, Teddy Bridgewater creatively saluted Hill’s performance on social media.

Responding to a tweet in which the Saints referred to Hill as “Mr. Do-It-All,” Bridgewater shared a clip from the 2004 film “Friday Night Lights” in which a character talks up his highly-recruited nephew to college scouts. You love to see it. Check it out for yourself in the video embedded below, or by following this link:

It’s going to be interesting to see which path each of these quarterbacks takes in the offseason. All three of them are headed for free agency, though Hill should be the easiest player for the Saints to retain. It wouldn’t be a huge shock if Brees seriously considers retirement, but that feels unlikely after he missed five games with injury earlier this year. Bridgewater has been groomed to become the heir-apparent, but he could get an offer he can’t refuse in free agency. If Nick Foles and Kirk Cousins can get contracts worth in excess of $80 million, why can’t he?

So be sure to appreciate these moments while we can. The Saints have built something special, and it’s well worth remembering once things change someday.

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