Tag: Lemanski Hall

Clemson a ‘top school’ for Alabama 4-star DL

Clemson continues to search across the Southeast for some of the nation’s best defensive linemen. Kelby Collins, a Class of 2023 recruit from Gardendale High School in Gardendale, Ala., is a four-star prospect, who ranks as No. 12 DL and No. 61 …

Clemson continues to search across the Southeast for some of the nation’s best defensive linemen.

Kelby Collins, a Class of 2023 recruit from Gardendale High School in Gardendale, Ala., is a four-star prospect, who ranks as No. 12 DL and No. 61 overall prospect in his respective class, per 247Sports Composite rankings.

He caught up with The Clemson Insider regarding his current recruitment and what he’s been hearing from Clemson as of late.

Collins hasn’t heard much from Clemson lately. The recruiting process had begun to get a bit overwhelming for the Alabama defensive lineman, so he took a break. However, Collins knows he’s going to start hearing from the Tigers a lot more in the future, he said.

Dating back to June 1, Collins received a scholarship offer after a “great conversation” with each of Clemson’s defensive tackles coach Todd Bates and defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall.

“It felt good to get that offer from Clemson,” Collins said. “They only offered, I think they told me like 18 players in my class. So, to be one of those, it felt good.”

Collins went up to Clemson earlier this summer after receiving his official scholarship offer. He took an unofficial visit over the course of multiple days. He was shown around campus by none other than Bates.

“It was a great visit,” Collins said. “All the coaches, everybody is like family up there. It really felt like family vibes up there a lot. I really liked the campus a lot and how close everything is.”

Collins is going to take his time and ease back into his recruiting process. He doesn’t have a timetable for a decision, but he’ll likely drop a top-10 list within the next couple of weeks. 

Clemson has talked with Collins about coming up to The Valley for a game this season. He said he’ll definitely make his way up there for one of the Tigers’ top games this upcoming season. 

“They are one of my top schools, I really like Clemson right now,” he said.

Collins views himself as a run-stopper, first and foremost, but someone who can also get after the quarterback with ease.

Bates has offered Collins a blueprint of how he would potentially be used in Clemson’s defense, which would involve him being moved all over the defensive front. According to Collins, Bates likes how he can stop the run and get after the quarterback.

The two have been forming a solid bond ever since Clemson got in contact with Collins dating back to the end of his freshman season.

“I think me and Coach Bates have a good relationship,” Collins said. “We were discussing a lot of NIL stuff, if I commit up there and stuff like that and how they would help me.”

Beyond that, what are some of the more important factors Collins is looking for in a school at the next level?

Collins is looking for a program that’s family-oriented but is also searching for a school that has what he wants to major in, he said.

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5-star loves how Clemson is setup

Clemson is always going to be recruiting some of the nation’s top prospects and the Tigers have been keeping tabs on one of the country’s best cornerbacks in the Class of 2023. A.. Harris, a class of 2023 recruit from Glenwood School in Phenix City, …

Clemson is always going to be recruiting some of the nation’s top prospects and the Tigers have been keeping tabs on one of the country’s best cornerbacks in the Class of 2023.

A.. Harris, a class of 2023 recruit from Glenwood School in Phenix City, Ala., is the nation’s No. 3 cornerback and No. 21 overall prospect in his respective class, per 247Sports Composite rankings.

Harris (6-2, 185) caught up with The Clemson Insider regarding his recruitment and just what he’s been hearing from the Tigers lately.

“Just how they can better me as a young man, as well as a football player,” Harris said. “Clemson being the best of both worlds as far as the genuine feel and the academics and the football. They’re just making sure that I get the bigger picture of that program.”

Harris released a top-13 list back on July 6, which featured the Tigers, along with Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Florida, Miami, LSU, Virginia Tech, Southern Cal and Utah.

He’ll see the schools that he hasn’t been able to visit before he makes his decision, he said.

“A genuine feel,” Harris said when asked what factors he’s looking for in a school at the next level,” and making sure that they give me the education that I need to have beyond the football years. You can never make a decision based off your position coaches, they can always leave. 

“Just making sure that the whole coaching staff is invested in me and will take care of me and I have a genuine feel from the whole coaching staff rather than my position coach.”

Harris has carved out relationships with Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables, defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall and cornerbacks coach Mike Reed.

“Just such a genuine feel from all of them,” Harris said when asked to characterize his relationships with Clemson’s coaching staff. “I like how we don’t always have to talk football. We can talk about just life, which is something that’s cool because you don’t always have to recruit me. I’m still human at the end of the day and I still live a regular life like everybody else. It’s just nice that I don’t always have to talk about football with those guys.”

Harris was able to see Clemson in person back on June 5. He was officially extended a scholarship offer during his unofficial visit, which he took with Roswell (Ga.) four-star cornerback Ethan Nation.

“I loved the way Clemson is set up,” Harris said. “It’s a very discreet location. There’s not too much going on all-around it. I’m a homebody, I don’t really like doing too much. That’s kind of right up my alley and it’s just making sure that you get your education and playing football at a high level. That’s just something that’s big for me. I’m not really a big city type of guy. I definitely like the setup of the whole campus.”

Harris enjoyed that he was able to take in the visit with Nation as the two had a fun time together, interacting with the coaches and things of that nature.

This is all new to Harris. It was different for him because the standout Alabama cornerback wasn’t being recruited before the pandemic. He was finally able to put voices to faces on the recruiting trail this summer.

“This was all so new to me and my parents,” he said. “But, it was a blessing from the man up above because there were so many kids that wanted to get out to college and see what college has to offer. I’m thankful that I don’t have to make my decision blind. It was definitely amazing.”

At the end of the day, Harris is a self-described competitor, who loves football.

“I’m a technician,” Harris added. “Someone who truly focuses on the technical aspect, especially with me being a taller DB. I have to be honed in on all the little things, making sure that I don’t take any extra steps in-and-out of my transitions. I’m definitely aggressive…I’ll compete with anybody, no matter the size, no matter anything.

“Whoever gets me will be getting someone that wants to be the best and wants to go win a National Championship and help his team do so.”

First and foremost, Harris is a team-first player. When asked about his goals for this upcoming season and beyond, Harris didn’t hesitate with his answer. 

“Win a state championship, that’s the only thing I want to do,” he said.

Harris believes that individual success comes with team success and everything else will fall into place from there.

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

Clemson remains in the hunt for some of country’s best pass-rushers

Even after losing out on the nation’s No. 1 edge rusher, Clemson remains in the hunt for some of the country’s best pass-rushing prospects. Last week, Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson five-star Jeremiah Alexander chose Alabama over Clemson. Alexander ranks …

Even after losing out on the nation’s No. 1 edge rusher, Clemson remains in the hunt for some of the country’s best pass-rushing prospects.

Last week, Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson five-star Jeremiah Alexander chose Alabama over Clemson. Alexander ranks as the No. 1 edge defender and No. 16 overall prospect in the nation, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Patience has been the name of the game for Clemson’s 2022 class.

It persisted when Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star Jihaad Campbell verbally committed to Clemson back on June 27.

And it may just continue to pay dividends for the Tigers.

As Clemson looks to add to its 2022 class, here’s a couple of defensive end prospects that we are keeping tabs on.

One of Clemson’s top defensive end targets in the 2022 class is D.J. Wesolak, a four-star recruit from Boonville (Mo.) High School ranked as high as the No. 10 DE and No. 92 overall prospect in the country by ESPN. 

Wesolak (6-4, 240) attended the Tigers’ Elite Retreat event in June and also made visits to Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and Southern Cal last month. 

The Tigers made a major impression on Wesolak during the Elite Retreat, and he told The Clemson Insider afterward that the visit moved him closer to a potential commitment to Clemson down the road.

“Absolutely,” he said. “Just being there, you see a lot of love and a lot of things other things schools don’t provide. When you come here, you don’t know what it actually is, but you feel a certain type of way when you get here. After leaving other schools or seeing other schools, they have the love, but they don’t show it the same way Clemson does.”

Wesolak may wait until January to announce his decision, but it’s possible he could make a decision sooner, perhaps on his birthday in September. He has yet to formally trim down the top 15 he released in April, but Southern Cal and Florida are a couple of the other schools squarely in the mix. 

Another target high on Clemson’s defensive end board for the 2022 class is Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman four-star Cyrus Moss. 

The 6-foot-6, 220-pound edge rusher with over two dozen offers dropped a top five in April comprised of Arizona State, Clemson, Florida, Notre Dame and Oregon. 

Look for Moss to take an official visit to Clemson this fall. He made visits to Alabama, Notre Dame and Oregon in June. 

Moss is expected to render a decision after he makes his official visits during the season. Oregon has been trending of late, but the Tigers could make a move if they get him on campus in the fall as expected. 

The consistency of Clemson’s program, both on the field and with the coaching staff, are a couple of main reasons why the Tigers made the final five for Moss and are one of the top contenders in his recruitment.

“Clemson, they’re super consistent,” he told TCI. “Most of their coaches have been there for eight, nine, 10 years. And of course, they’ve also been consistently productive to the NFL and consistently winning, consistently doing great things as they have been. They’re a little bit more proof-in-the-pudding type. So, it’s been great getting to know Coach (Lemanski) Hall, Coach (Brent) Venables, Coach (Dabo) Swinney, all the guys over there, Coach (Todd) Bates.”

Moss is ranked as high as the No. 3 edge defender and No. 26 overall prospect in the 2022 class by 247Sports, which considers him the No. 1 player in the state of Nevada.

Another noteworthy target is Philadelphia (Pa.) Imhotep Institute’s Enai White, who is the nation’s No. 1 edge rusher and No. 6 overall prospect in the 2022 class regardless of position by 247Sports.

White (6-6, 230) trimmed down his list of more than 40 offers to eight teams back on May 4, with the Tigers making the cut. Now, he’s looking to cut down his list to four teams and hinted on Twitter that he’s getting closer to nearing a decision.

White has expressed interest in Clemson and likes how Dabo Swinney runs his program. “They produce, they win, and you can tell they work hard,” he said to TCI. “A tight ship is run over there.”

Additionally, Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep four-star Kenyatta Jackson Jr. is another viable target.

Jackson (6-5, 230) is ranked as high as the No. 5 edge defender and No. 76 overall prospect in the 2022 class by 247Sports.

He called Clemson his “dream school,” when he was offered by the Tigers back on June 1, 2020. Jackson also included Clemson in his top-12 list of schools nearly 22 days later.

With many of the nation’s top programs in pursuit of the aforementioned prospects, the Tigers certainly have their work cut out for them as they look to continue to bolster the 2022 class.

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

Top Texas DE building ‘great’ relationship with Hall

Clemson is keeping tabs on some of the top prospects in Texas as the Tigers continue to extend their footprint in The Lone Star State. One of those recruits is Cy Ranch (Cypress, Texas) 2023 four-star defensive end Ashton Porter, who is currently …

Clemson is keeping tabs on some of the top prospects in Texas as the Tigers continue to extend their footprint in The Lone Star State.

One of those recruits is Cy Ranch (Cypress, Texas) 2023 four-star defensive end Ashton Porter, who is currently ranked as the No. 31 defensive lineman in the 2023 class, per 247Sports’ rankings.

Porter has been keeping in touch with Clemson defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall, who is planning on making the trip to Texas to see Porter play this upcoming season.

“It’s great,” Porter said of his relationship with Hall. “We talk almost every week since the visit. I’m just building a relationship with him right now.”

Porter believes that if he continues to build that relationship with Hall, then an offer will eventually come.

So far, Clemson has put forth a great first impression.

“I love it,” Porter said. “I just like how they didn’t offer me off the bat like other schools have. They want to build a relationship with me, so they get to know who I am.”

For Porter, that means a lot.

Porter spoke to Hall about getting up to Clemson for a game back on his visit. He just has to find out what game he’ll be attending first, but he’s excited for a game day in The Valley.

So what is Porter looking for in a school at the next level?

His answer was simple. He’s looking for somewhere that feels like family and where he’ll fit right into a team’s defensive scheme. 

Porter sees that in Clemson so far. He would translate as a defensive end in the Tigers’ four-man front that they run.

Hall likes Porter’s ability to get off the ball, his hands and aggression, he said. All of those attributes are the aspects of Porter’s game that he prides himself on.

This season, Hall wants to see Porter play with his left hand down. Right now, Porter plays on the right side with his right hand down. He doesn’t view it as a difficult task, it’s just something he’s going to have to get used to.

Porter would like to rack up 15 sacks in 2021. He had eight sacks last season, so he’s looking to nearly double his sack total from the year before. In addition to Clemson, Porter has been on visits to Alabama, Texas A&M, Baylor, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Texas. 

He currently holds offers from programs like Arizona State, Baylor, Cal, Colorado, Indiana, Michigan State, Ole Miss, SMU, Tennessee and Texas.

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