Badgers offer three-star safety for class of 2024

Wisconsin offered Jaiden Spearman, a three-star athlete from North Carolina on Thursday.

Wisconsin offered Jaiden Spearman, a three-star safety from Cornelius, North Carolina on Thursday. Spearman is a junior at The Loomis Chaffee School and will have one more season of high school football before potentially joining the Badgers as a member of the class of 2024.

Spearman has now received 13 offers from Division 1 schools and four from within the Big Ten. Outside of Wisconsin, the 6-foot-2 safety has been offered by Michigan, Penn State and Purdue in the conference.

As there is still a little over one year until the class has their national signing day (Feb. 7, 2024), the Badgers have secured two commitments from 2024 recruits. Four-star quarterback Mabrey Mettauer (The Woodlands, Texas) and cornerback Austin Alexander (Chicago Heights, Illinois) have already elected to become Badgers in 2024.

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Strong mutual interest between Tigers, promising DB prospect

There is plenty of mutual interest between Clemson and this promising defensive back prospect in the 2024 class that the Tigers recently played host to. The Loomis Chaffee School (Windsor, Conn.)’s Jaiden Spearman made his first-ever visit to …

There is plenty of mutual interest between Clemson and this promising defensive back prospect in the 2024 class that the Tigers recently played host to.

The Loomis Chaffee School (Windsor, Conn.)’s Jaiden Spearman made his first-ever visit to Clemson in mid-March with his father and came away impressed after spending a lot of time around the Tigers’ staff, including head coach Dabo Swinney and co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Mickey Conn.

“It was good,” Spearman said in a recent interview with The Clemson Insider, reflecting on the visit. “I met with all the coaches. I really liked the P.A.W. Journey (personal growth, life skills, and professional development program). I got a lot of information from Coach Dabo on the things that he looks for in players. We sat down for a while, and then the safeties coach, Mickey, we exchanged numbers and have been exchanging videos and stuff. But he just kept it real.

“So, I spent most of my time really talking to Mickey. We went to the team’s meeting. I went to watch their practice, and then we sat down in all of the safeties’ meetings, so I went with the safeties for like two of their meetings. We watched film … and really just spent a lot of time with the staff. Everybody was really, really, really, really good — everybody. So, it was a great time.”

Spearman had been in touch with Conn prior to the visit, and he feels they hit it off particularly well after getting to meet each other in person.

“I think we got along really well,” Spearman said. “We talked about our families. There were some similarities between things in our families. So, just getting to know him… We had talked online, but I think it’s different when you talk to somebody in person. So, looking forward to going out there – I’m going to do a camp this summer and spend some more time with him. But we’ve definitely been communicating a lot.”

Swinney discussed Clemson’s offer policy with Spearman, explaining that the Tigers typically don’t offer class of 2024 recruits this early in the process, but Swinney and Conn each expressed their high level of interest in him – interest that is certainly reciprocated by Spearman in Clemson.

The Loomis Chaffee School (Windsor, Conn.) 2024 DB Jaiden Spearman (photo courtesy of @JaidenSpearman on Twitter)

“We talked to Dabo, and he explained his thoughts on ‘24s and offering ‘24s,” he said. “I like the amount of time and attention that they put into their evaluations. They both told me that they like my size, my length, my aggressiveness. Mickey, he likes safeties that aren’t afraid to get in the box, that hit, and he said I fit that profile. So, they said they were very interested in me. I told them I’m interested in them. They said that they’re slower than some of the other schools (in extending offers), and they asked me to keep the relationship going. So, I look forward to coming back.”

Spearman, who is already approaching double-digit offers as a sophomore, looks forward to showcasing his skills for Clemson’s staff when he competes at the Swinney Camp this summer.

“I’m a smart safety,” he said, describing himself as a player. “I know corner, safety, nickel. I know everything on the defensive side. So, I would say I look forward to showing them my aggressiveness. They saw my size and my length. I’m 6-2, 6-2.5, about 185 pounds right now. I think my length helps, I think speed. I just want to show them everything – that I can cover, that I can play in the box, that I can run sideline to sideline. So, I’m looking forward to showing my explosiveness.”

Spearman’s offer list currently includes Michigan, Ole Miss, Baylor, Arizona, Arizona State, Purdue, Florida Atlantic and UConn.

While Spearman attends a prep school in Connecticut, he is from Charlotte, and the fact that Clemson is not far from there only adds to the appeal of a potential offer from the Tigers in the future.

“It would mean a lot,” he said. “They do a lot of research, and that makes me feel good. I like the school, I like the coaching staff. They seem like they care about their players. It would mean a lot, and then being from the area, it’s always good when you get love from teams around your area.”

Spearman has also recently visited North Carolina, South Carolina, Marshall and UConn, while he is planning to check out schools such as Syracuse, Penn State and Rutgers moving forward.

Spearman’s brother Ike played linebacker at Eastern Michigan from 2012-17, while his brother Derek is a freshman defensive back at UConn.

–Photos for this article courtesy of @JaidenSpearman on Twitter

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The Insider Report: Latest on Vizzina and multiple priority targets

It’s time for this week’s edition of The Insider Report. We hope everyone had a great weekend and is having a great week so far. The latest on Christopher Vizzina As promised, The Clemson Insider has the latest on Clemson’s priority quarterback …

It’s time for this week’s edition of The Insider Report.

We hope everyone had a great weekend and is having a great week so far.

The latest on Christopher Vizzina

As promised, The Clemson Insider has the latest on Clemson’s priority quarterback prospect. TCI was in attendance for Sunday’s Elite 11 Regional Atlanta at Carrollton High School and asked Briarwood Christian (Birmingham, Ala.) four-star Christopher Vizzina a couple of questions then. At the same time, we limited what we asked about Clemson because we wanted him to be able to digest Monday’s visit to Tiger Town.

We spoke with Vizizna over the phone Tuesday afternoon and he offered his reaction to his spring practice visit, what he heard from Clemson’s coaching staff, and much, much more.

“It was great,” Vizzina said. “I really needed to see a practice and that’s what I’ve been trying to do during these visits I’ve been going to. I needed to see a Clemson practice. It was kind of hard for them to really impress me because I’ve seen everything already. I’m sure it’s hard on their part trying to schedule a visit for me, but I’m still impressed with practice and everything and just how Coach Swinney and everybody coaches.

“It was really fun to watch. I really enjoyed being around the quarterbacks and everything. I really got to pick their minds about Clemson and everything. It was a great experience.”

Vizzina said that he spoke with all of Clemson’s quarterbacks — D.J. Uiagalelei, Cade Klubnik, Hunter Helms and Billy Wiles — but it was Uiagalelei who gave him a lot of good wisdom on how to make a decision. According to Vizzina, Uiagalelei didn’t really put any “Clemson bias” on how to make a decision and he really appreciated that.

Beyond that, he got to see how Brandon Streeter ran his offense and how Clemson’s quarterbacks responded to it during Monday’s spring practice.

“I got to sit through their pre-practice meeting and everything before they went out there,” he said. “I liked all the plays that Coach Streeter was calling and all the ones that they were working on. I’m excited to see how that plays out in the spring game and everything.

“Coach Streeter showed me a lot. Really the visit before this one, (Saturday, Jan. 29) he really sat down and showed me how the plays translate to the NFL. I actually got to see these plays run in front of me, the quarterbacks picking up on everything, so I think Coach Streeter’s doing a great job of teaching the offense to everybody and there was a lot of positive feedback from the players about Coach Streeter in his new role.”

Update on Carolinas DT target

We have the latest on Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.) four-star Jamaal Jarrett, who spoke to TCI on Monday and dished on his recruitment, as well as what he’s been hearing from the Tigers as of late.

“I talked to Coach (Nick) Eason (Sunday) and he’s just working to see if I can get on a visit in April or May,” Jarrett said. “He’s just really aiming for me to get on the visit, so I can get the offer. He was like they’re d-line U and if I come over there, I can make them even better.”

Jarrett is chomping at the bit to visit Clemson and potentially earn that offer from the Tigers. With that said, what would it mean to him if Clemson did pull the trigger on a potential scholarship offer?

“It would be a blessing, man,” he said. “All my other offers are a blessing, but it would be really cool to go to Clemson, see their facilities, see Payton Page and Bryan Bresee. It would be pretty cool to experience and talk to the players.”

Jarrett is dropping his top six schools in May and he told TCI that he wants Clemson to be in it, along with North Carolina, Georgia and Auburn.

Priority cornerback target locks in official visit

Right before we released this week’s edition of the Insider Report, we spoke with Coppell (Texas) four-star cornerback Braxton Myers, who confirmed his plans to take an official visit to Clemson on Friday, June 3.

“I’m really just keeping in contact with them every one to two days with Coach (Mike) Reed and Coach (Wesley) Goodwin,” Myers said. “We scheduled my official visit for June 3 and really been just talking on a daily basis.”

Myers wants to be committed prior to his senior season, so Clemson wants to ensure that he’s able to take his official visit before he makes his final college decision.

“I guess just like getting around the players more because I haven’t really done that yet,” he said when asked what he’s looking to see on his upcoming official visit.

Myers won’t be able to make Clemson’s spring game on Saturday, April 9; he’ll be at Ole Miss this weekend instead. He’s recently taken visits to Southern Cal, Auburn, Florida State and will also be in Arkansas next weekend.

After dropping his top 12 schools at the beginning of February, Myers told us that he plans on cutting down his list to seven schools at the end of this month. With an official visit to Clemson already set, it’s obvious that the Tigers will be among his final contenders.

“The reason why they made it is just because I’ve been knowing them for a long time and I know that they can develop me on and off the field greatly,” he said, “and I can tell with my recruitment process, they’re always hitting me up and want me to a part of their program at Clemson.”

Priority OL target ready for return trip to Tiger Town this weekend

TCI caught up with one of the Tigers’ top offensive line targets in the 2023 class who recently cut his recruitment down to three schools and is set to be back on campus at Clemson this weekend.

South Point High School (Belmont, N.C.) four-star Sullivan Absher dropped a final three of Clemson, NC State and Notre Dame last Friday, and will return to Tiger Town this Saturday for the Orange & White Spring Game.

Absher (6-7, 300), who received an offer from the Tigers in February, was previously on campus for the program’s second junior day of the year in early March and also visited Clemson for a pair of games last season. He told TCI that he’s been looking to get back on campus as soon as he could after attending the junior day.

“I have such a great experience every time I’m there,” he said.

Absher has built a strong bond with Clemson offensive line coach Thomas Austin and joked that they were arguing over March Madness for the past couple weeks. Absher told us they talk like Austin has already been his coach for years now, even though Austin was only formally named the Tigers’ new offensive line coach in early February.

As for his recruitment, Absher said he simply felt like narrowing things down to three finalists would eliminate a lot of unnecessary distractions, and added that a big reason he included Clemson among those schools is because of how consistently the program develops its student-athletes at a high level, not only as players but as men as well.

The only other visit Absher currently has scheduled is a trip to Notre Dame on April 23. He’s still hoping to commit sometime prior to his senior season.

Big-time Peach State DL can see himself on Clemson’s defense

This highly regarded Peach State defensive lineman can see himself playing on Clemson’s defensive front in the future.

Mountain View High School (Lawrenceville, Ga.) four-star defensive end Justin Greene – the nation’s No. 3 defensive lineman in the 2024 class, per 247Sports – visited Clemson on March 12 and came away very impressed.

“The facilities were first-class all the way, the staff was amazing and I really made a connection with Coach Hall (defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall) and Coach Eason (defensive tackles coach Nick Eason),” Greene told TCI recently, reflecting on the visit experience. “I like the culture they’re building. I could see myself being a part of their defense.”

Greene is already planning to return to Clemson for the Dabo Swinney Camp in June and hopes to further strengthen his relationship with Clemson’s staff while showing them what he can do on the field.

Along with the Tigers, schools such as Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida State are showing the most early interest in Greene, who has offers from Boston College, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. He describes himself as a “technically sound” defensive end who is explosive off the ball.

“My speed and athleticism paired with my length make me a problem,” he said.

Greene (6-4, 235) is the No. 26 overall prospect in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports.

Strong mutual interest between Clemson, standout safety 

There is plenty of mutual interest between Clemson and this promising class of 2024 defensive back who was on campus last month as well.

TCI recently caught up with Jaiden Spearman, a safety prospect who attends The Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound sophomore visited Clemson in mid-March with his father and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, during which he was able to spend a lot of time with the staff, including Swinney and safeties coach/co-defensive coordinator Mickey Conn.

Spearman really hit it off with Conn.

“He just kept it real,” Spearman said. “I spent most of my time really talking to Mickey. We went to the team’s meeting. I went to watch their practice, and then we sat down in all of the safeties meetings, so I went with the safeties for like two of their meetings. We watched film … and really just spent a lot of time with the staff. Everybody was really, really, really good — everybody. So, it was a great time.”

Like Greene, Spearman plans to participate in the Swinney Camp this summer.

Swinney explained Clemson’s offer process to Spearman and let him know they typically don’t offer prospects early. But the Tigers have expressed their interest, which is certainly reciprocated by Spearman.

“We talked to Dabo, and he explained his thoughts on ‘24s and offering ‘24s,” he said. “I like the amount of time and attention that they put into their evaluations. They both told me that they like my size, my length, my aggressiveness. Mickey, he likes safeties that aren’t afraid to get in the box, that hit, and he said I fit that profile. So, they said they were very interested in me. I told them I’m interested in them. They said that they’re slower than some of the other schools (with offers), and they asked me to keep the relationship going. So, I look forward to coming back.”

While Spearman goes to school in Connecticut, he is from Charlotte and said “it would mean a lot” to get an offer from Clemson in the future.

“I like the coaching staff. They seem like they care about their players,” he said. “It would mean a lot, and then being from the area, it’s always good when you get love from teams around your area.”

Spearman currently holds offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Connecticut, Florida Atlantic, Michigan, Ole Miss and Purdue.

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