Tag: Misun Kelley

Clemson freshman set to have surgery this week, will miss the remainder of the season

A Clemson freshman wide receiver will have season-ending surgery this week.

After reports that Tigers freshman wide receiver Misun “Tink” Kelley would require surgery at some point this season, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney confirmed that the surgery will happen this week, ending Kelley’s season.

Meeting with media on Monday, Swinney shared this update: 

“We’re going to do (the surgery) this week,” the Clemson head coach said. “I think we’re going to do it on Thursday, and that’ll pretty much shut him down for the season. Wish we’d have been able to get him some more playing time, but I’m glad he was able to really get some experience in practicing and getting the reps that he got in our practice the last couple of weeks.

“Again, we’re super excited about him, but we’re going to go ahead and do it. Like I said, that’ll take him out for the year and have him ready to go when January rolls around, and we get in the offseason program and not miss anything.”

The Tigers have to do what’s best for Kelley, and that is surgery. We’ll have to wait sometime before we see him back on the field in a Clemson uniform.

Clemson freshman wide receiver will require surgery

Dabo Swinney indicated that this freshman wide receiver will require surgery.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney met with the media Tuesday for his weekly press conference and indicated that freshman wide receiver Misun “Tink” Kelley will require surgery to fix an issue dating back to high school.

While no confirmation of when surgery may happen, Kelley will eventually need it. Swinney stated that the Clemson coaching staff has a good plan for the freshman wide receiver.  

“He has something that he has kind of dealt with since high school that we need to get fixed,” Swinney said. “It is nothing long-term or anything like that. Something is going to have to happen. We got it set up to where we want him to be back for the off-season, January, spring training, and all of that stuff. We have a good plan.”

An issue may arise here, as Kelley saw action in the Syracuse game due to the Antonio Williams ankle injury that kept the star wide receiver sidelined. The NCAA allows freshmen to play in four games before redshirting, but the guidelines are specific, so the amount of play time Kelley can see is limited. 

Plans can change, but Swinney is aware of Kelley’s playtime. 

“He has a couple of more games. He actually got in (the Syracuse game) and was moving around pretty good. He had a really good practice last night, as a matter of fact. He was one of those guys last night that jumped out,” Swinney said. “He is another guy that I would put with Tyler Brown. He is a very mature kid. He is a baller. He is conscientious and can do so many things. He just has not had the opportunity yet. He played in a game, then he was out with an injury. Then we were going to hold him, and then with Antonio, we decided to go ahead and play him here or there, so we have a backup right there.”

Freshmen aren’t always immediate impact players, and a redshirt is sometimes the best thing for the player. Swinney is confident in Kelley and his future with the Tigers. 

“I am super excited about Tink and what he will be able to do for us,” the Clemson head coach said. “He will be able to do some great things before he goes. The same thing (as Tyler Brown). He has a high level of maturity. He is a winner. The kid is a winner. We really, really like him.”

We now await the next update on the talented freshman. 

Dabo Swinney discusses freshmen wide receivers, who will play, and who will redshirt

Dabo Swinney broke down Clemson’s freshmen wide receivers and who we should expect to play or get redshirt.

The Clemson football program heads into the 2023 college football season with a high ceiling on offense but a wide receiver room that will need to step up for the Tigers to perform to the level they need to for a college football playoff appearance. 

During his radio call-in show Monday night, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney took the time to discuss the wide receivers, particularly the freshmen wideouts. Who of Tyler Brown, Ronan Hanafin, Misun “Tink” Kelley, and Noble Johnson will play, and who will redshirt? 

“Really liked the four that we signed, and Tyler Brown for sure’s going to play,” Swinney said. “Ronan, we’re going to redshirt, and then Noble and Tink, we’re going to try to hold them; we’ll see how it goes. A lot of it depends on (Troy) Stellato, who’s back now. He’s looked good the last few days. … He’s been here two years and hasn’t played (due to injuries). He’s a guy that certainly can do it, and he’s a bonus guy because we feel really good about our core group.”

A local product, Tyler Brown, has been incredibly impressive during his short time with the program, with Swinney and others raving about what he is capable of multiple times. Expectations were that Johnson would be the freshmen wide receiver to have the earliest impact, but Brown has seemed to separate himself from the group.

Swinney also touched on the rule changes with postseason games now not counting toward the four-game limit for freshmen keeping their redshirt status.

“They changed the rule this year where the postseason doesn’t count,” Swinney said. “So let’s just say you go to the national championship, well, you can play seven games. The postseason does not count. So you can play four games in the season, you can play the ACC Championship, a playoff game, and the national championship. You can play seven games and still be redshirted.”

Clemson’s freshmen wide receivers are in a good spot right now.

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Two freshmen wide receivers are ‘dicing dudes up,’ according to Cade Klubnik

Cade Klubnik has been impressed by these two freshmen wide receivers heading into the 2023 season.

The Clemson football program needs the wide receiver room to step up and make plays in 2023, and it sounds like two freshmen are on their way to an early impact at the position. 

Starting quarterback Cade Klubnik enters his first season as the starter under center, and expectations are that starting wide receivers Antonio Williams and Beaux Collins, along with starting tight end Jake Briningstool will be the young quarterback’s go-to targets. Even so, two freshmen receivers, Tyler Brown and Misun “Tink” Kelley, have both caught the attention of Clemson’s starting quarterback.

“Him (Brown) and Tink are two guys that kind of came in and just got to work,” the starting quarter back said. “You just throw them out there in one-on-ones and in team and in skelly (drill), and (they’re) just working and making plays, dicing dudes up.”

Klubnik went further into freshman wide receiver Tyler Brown, comparing him to Clemson’s top receiver Antonio Williams. He sees a lot of what Williams is capable of in Brown.

“Tyler Brown definitely reminded me a lot of Antonio when he came in,” Klubnik said. “Very similar, and just coming in and making plays right off the bat.”

Great things to hear from Klubnik; this group is arguably the most important to the success of Clemson’s offense next season. If the Tigers’ wide receivers come to play in 2023, this offense will be one of the best in the country.

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Dabo Swinney on the Tigers’ freshmen wide receivers following Clemson’s first scrimmage

Dabo Swinney talked Clemson freshmen wide receivers following their first scrimmage.

Heading into the 2023 college football season, the Clemson wide receiver room will have to perform at a high level for the Tigers’ offense to remain consistent and compete with the top programs in the country.

Following their first scrimmage in Memorial Stadium, Swinney met with the media and discussed how the team’s true freshman wide receivers have looked. Speaking on Noble Johnson, Misun “Tink” Kelley, Tyler Brown, and Ronan Hanafin, Swinney discussed how they’ve been and what we can expect.

“Noble, Tink and Tyler are really in a good spot,” the head coach said. “Ronan has flashed. He’s made some really good competitive plays, but he’s probably got the most to learn at his position. But I feel really, really good about the progress Noble’s made. He’s had a couple pretty good days together. I think it’s slowing down a little.”

Great news for the Tigers, wide receiver is a position Clemson fans have been intrigued by heading into the season. While we know there are players in that room who can ball, someone needs to step up and be a go-to guy for Cade Klubnik. While they may not be ready yet, hearing players are on track is always a good sign.

“Y’all have heard me say – it’s Beaux (Collins), it’s Antonio (Williams), it’s Adam (Randall) and Cole (Turner) and it’s Spec (Brannon Spector). Those are five guys that we feel like we can go play anybody with,” Swinney said. So, it’s about really developing some elite depth after that and hopefully not having to start any of these guys, which we ended up having to do the last couple years. We had to start Beaux before he was really ready to start. We had to start Antonio. We’ve had to do that a little bit with injuries and stuff, so hopefully we can stay healthy and really bring these guys along at the proper pace and develop some elite depth.”

Clemson’s young wide receivers can focus on development rather than performance for the first time in a bit. Obviously, performance matters but practice performance and game performance are two different things. These young guys can do their work behind the scenes and develop rather than being thrust into playing time.

So far, so good for Clemson’s freshmen wide receivers.

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Jersey numbers for every true freshman on Clemson’s roster

Clemson’s football team has a lot of new faces on its roster, so make sure you know who makes what play by learning their jersey numbers.

Clemson will kick off its 2023 season in under two months, and for roughly a quarter of the team’s roster, it will be their first collegiate football game.

The Tigers’ 2023 recruiting class, which consists of 26 commits, was ranked No. 11 in the nation, according to 247Sports Composite rankings.

Highlighted by five-star defensive tackle Peter Woods, four-star defensive lineman T.J. Parker and four-star quarterback Christopher Vizzina, among others, Clemson’s freshmen class has players with high potential.

But, with so many new faces joining the team, it can be difficult to know who’s who in the first few games of the season.

To help fans keep track of those new faces, here are the jersey numbers for every Clemson true freshman on the roster, including walk-ons:

Clemson lands local three-star cornerback

Clemson now has 21 verbal commitments to its 2023 recruiting class after the Tigers picked up a local three-star cornerback.

Clemson has added another player to its 2023 recruiting, this time in the secondary.

Three-star cornerback Misun Kelley took to Twitter on Saturday to announce his verbal commitment to the Tigers.

The D.W. Daniel High School player is the No. 79 cornerback prospect in his class, according to 247 Sports Composite rankings.

Kelley had initially committed to Virginia Tech in September but decommitted earlier this month. One day after his commitment from the Hokies, Clemson offered him.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound prospect held offers from over 15 programs before choosing the Tigers, including Louisville and Appalachian State.

With Kelley’s commitment, Clemson now has 21 verbal commitments in its 2023 recruiting class.

Kelley is the fifth defensive back to commit to the Tigers, with the other four being Avieon Terrell, Branden Strozier, Robert Billings and Shelton Lewis.

With five commits in the secondary and 16 other commitments, Clemson has the No. 10 recruiting class in the nation, according to 247Sports Composite rankings.

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Dream ‘accomplished’: Local standout commits to Clemson, details decision with TCI

Clemson picked up a commitment Saturday afternoon from a standout local prospect. Daniel High School (Central, S.C.) athlete Misun Kelley announced his verbal pledge to the Tigers via Twitter. Prior to his announcement, the talented class of 2023 …

Clemson picked up a commitment Saturday afternoon from a standout local prospect.

Daniel High School (Central, S.C.) athlete Misun Kelley announced his verbal pledge to the Tigers via Twitter.

Prior to his announcement, the talented class of 2023 recruit was kind enough to speak with The Clemson Insider about his decision.

“I committed there because it’d be a great fit for me and I want to be in the College Football Playoff, also,” he said, “and I just want to be held to a higher standard and be able to live life after college football just in case it doesn’t work out for me.”

Kelley, who chose Clemson over a slew of other offers, explained what separated the Tigers from his other two finalists in Virginia Tech and Oklahoma.

“They’re a really good football team,” he said of Clemson. “They send receivers to the league a lot. The thing about Clemson is that I know I can play there as a freshman in some way, doesn’t matter – special teams or just getting reps, it would always be a good thing.”

Kelley originally committed to Virginia Tech in early September, and after withdrawing his pledge from the Hokies on Oct. 6, he reported an offer from Clemson a day later.

The Tigers offered the 5-foot-11.5, 177-pound senior as an athlete, and it’s to be determined whether he will play receiver or defensive back for Dabo Swinney’s team.

“They offered me as an athlete, so I guess they can see me fitting in on both sides,” he said. “They’re going to pick whichever one they feel like I have a career at, and that’s where they’re going to put me.”

Kelley, who made an unofficial visit to Tiger Town for the Syracuse game last Saturday, said he’s known for sure since this past Monday that Clemson is the place where he wanted to continue his academic and athletic career.

The Tigers’ staff was “pretty hyped” when Kelley informed them of his decision, he said, and his relationship with the coaches was a big factor in his college choice.

“That’s another reason why I committed,” he said. “As a recruit you need relationships like that because you’re giving somebody that you don’t really know basically your life and you’re trusting them with it.”

Kelley, who was named to the Shrine Bowl earlier this month, plans to enroll at Clemson next summer.

“It’s very exciting, since I grew up watching them and I’ve always wanted to be a part of something like that,” he said of starting his career at Clemson next year. “This is like another one of my dreams is accomplished. So, I’m very excited about that and being able to work with some great players and great coaches.”

What is Clemson getting in Kelley, both as a player and person?

“Just a very great player, a player who puts a lot of effort in, somebody who can make plays,” he said. “I work very hard, too. Just a great player and a great person.”

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Local Clemson target previews this weekend’s college decision

On Tuesday, a local standout and Clemson target set his commitment date. Daniel High School (Central, S.C.) class of 2023 athlete Misun Kelley announced that he will reveal his college decision at 3 p.m. Saturday. Kelly, a 5-foot-11.5, 177-pound …

On Tuesday, a local standout and Clemson target set his commitment date.

Daniel High School (Central, S.C.) class of 2023 athlete Misun Kelley announced that he will reveal his college decision at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Kelly, a 5-foot-11.5, 177-pound senior and Shrine Bowl selection, told The Clemson Insider on Tuesday that he knows where he’s going.

All that’s left for him to do is let the public know his college choice this weekend.

“It feels pretty good to get it wrapped up,” Kelley said of the recruiting process in an interview with TCI previewing his decision. “I’m looking forward to it, just to not be able to be stressed out about recruiting anymore, just have the place I’m going in my mind already set.”

Clemson, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma were the finalists for Kelley, he said, and he commented on why his decision came down to each of those schools.

Clemson: “Clemson, because it’s the hometown school. I can play there early. I could really be their guy since they’re able to watch me a lot since I’m at Daniel High School.”

Virginia Tech: “Virginia Tech, because I know I can play there early as a freshman as soon as I walk in, and I know that I’m their guy.”

Oklahoma: “Oklahoma, just because I know they need help on the receiver side of the ball and I know that’s what I want to play in college.”

Kelley originally committed to Virginia Tech in early September, and after withdrawing his pledge from the Hokies on Oct. 6, he reported an offer from Clemson on Oct. 7. The Tigers offered him as an athlete, and it remains to be seen whether he would play receiver or defensive back for Dabo Swinney’s team if he went to Clemson.

Speaking of Swinney, Kelley had the chance to spend more time with the Tigers’ head coach last Saturday during his unofficial visit for the Syracuse game, and Kelley feels his relationship with Swinney and his staff “got a lot stronger.”

“It was pretty good, pretty fun,” Kelley said of the visit. “Just something I like to do, like be around the coaches, be around people that’s trying to do the same thing as me.”

Kelley plans to be a summer enrollee at his school of choice.

What will that school be getting in him as a player and person?

“A very hard worker, a very good person,” he said. “I like to talk to people. It’s not always about football for me, but when it’s about football I’m pretty serious about it, and I like to work out a lot. If I’m not at school, I’m most likely at the gym or something like that.”

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Tigers set to host top prospects for Syracuse game

Clemson will play host to a bunch of top prospects for Saturday’s 12 p.m. game against Syracuse. Here are some of the bigger names The Clemson Insider has confirmed as planned visitors for the top-15 ACC Atlantic Division showdown at Death Valley: …

Clemson will play host to a bunch of top prospects for Saturday’s 12 p.m. game against Syracuse.

Here are some of the bigger names The Clemson Insider has confirmed as planned visitors for the top-15 ACC Atlantic Division showdown at Death Valley:

One of the headliners among the recruits expected to be in attendance is Central High School (Phenix City, Ala.) four-star defensive end Tomarrion Parker (pictured above), who will be on campus as an official visitor.

Parker, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound senior in the class of 2023, is down to Clemson, Penn State, Texas A&M and Tennessee. Last week, he announced a commitment date of Nov. 21.

Clemson extended an offer to Parker on Aug. 11, after he decommitted from Penn State a couple days prior.

“I always wanted to say that Clemson offered,” Parker told The Clemson Insider shortly after being offered. “We’ve been talking for a little while and once I decommitted, some of the commits, some of my friends that I know — Peter Woods and (Christopher) Vizzina — they hit me up and they were like, ‘Bro, would you be interested in Clemson?’

“Are you kidding me? Of course!”

Since Clemson has re-entered the picture, what has defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall’s message been to Parker?

“He’s losing four guys (Xavier Thomas, KJ Henry, Myles Murphy and Justin Mascoll) this year to the NFL, so he needs players who are ready to come in and play early, play right away,” Parker said, “and he feels like I’m a guy that can do that. He’s gonna recruit me hard and I really like that and respect that — saying that the defensive room is open next year. That’s a great opportunity to go into.”

Parker, who went to Tennessee last weekend for its game against Alabama, was previously at Clemson on an unofficial visit for the Sept. 10 game vs. Furman.

He is ranked as high as the No. 6 defensive lineman and No. 44 overall prospect in the 2023 class by 247Sports.

A few other significant 2023 prospects slated to be on hand for Saturday’s game as unofficial visitors are Daniel High School (Central, S.C.) three-star athlete Misun Kelley, North Oconee (Bogart, Ga.) three-star athlete Khalil Barnes and North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.) four-star defensive tackle Kayden McDonald.

Kelley received an offer from Clemson on Oct. 7, shortly after decommitting from Virginia Tech.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers offered the 5-foot-11, 177-pound senior as an athlete. According to Kelley, Clemson sees him as an electric, versatile weapon that can return punts, shut down opposing receivers and/or score touchdowns.

“Swinney had called me and told me that I had been balling on the field,” Kelley told TCI after scoring the offer. “He said that they were ready to 100% offer me. I’ve been talking to (wide receivers coach Tyler) Grisham and (defensive coordinator Wes) Goodwin too a lot.”

In addition to Clemson, Kelley mentioned schools like Virginia Tech, James Madison, Maryland, Oklahoma and Florida as those currently involved in his recruitment. He’s hoping to render a decision prior to December.

Barnes (6-1, 185) reopened his recruitment and decommitted from Wake Forest on Oct. 3.

Ever since Clemson offered Barnes on Sept. 22, he’s been in constant contact with Goodwin and co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Mickey Conn. He said that his conversations with Goodwin and Conn are more personable, that they don’t talk about football.

“I feel like I talk to him the most out of any coach from up there,” Barnes said to TCI of Conn. “I can call him, and we can probably talk about what I had for lunch and have a good conversation. He always lets me know that at Clemson, they really want me. He feels that I’m the guy that they need to have with this recruiting class. It’s good talks for sure.”

After this weekend’s unofficial visit, Barnes will make his way back to Clemson for the South Carolina game on Nov. 26 and take an official visit that weekend.

As far as a decision timeline is concerned, Barnes imagines that it’ll likely come close to the early signing period. He’s hoping to be a midyear enrollee and said that all the schools he’s been in contact with will be able to accommodate him on that.

As for McDonald, he announced a top five earlier this month featuring the Tigers along with Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma and Ohio State. He is ranked as high as the No. 193 overall prospect in the 2023 class by Rivals, which considers him the nation’s No. 8 defensive tackle in his class.

Clemson extended an offer to the 6-foot-3, 315-pounder in late May.

“It’s a blessing,” McDonald told TCI after receiving the offer. “Clemson’s a school that doesn’t really throw out a whole lot of offers. Clemson is a great, top-five program. In the last five years, they’ve won nattys. It’s a great program that doesn’t really throw out offers, so it’s a blessing to have an offer.”

The headliner among the 2024 prospects planning to be in attendance is Willis (Texas) five-star quarterback DJ Lagway.

The 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior is ranked as the No. 4 quarterback in the country and No. 25 overall prospect in the 2024 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Lagway dropped his top 10 schools last month, announcing he is down to Clemson, Arkansas, LSU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, Southern Cal, Alabama and Baylor.

Clemson got him on campus for a pair of unofficial visits in April and June.

It didn’t come as a surprise when he included Swinney’s program as a part of his top schools. He recently went into detail with TCI about why the Tigers are one of his favorites.

“I’d say because of the atmosphere — the Christian-based atmosphere,” Lagway explained. “It’s just amazing. It’s different than any other school. I feel like that’s the reason why it sets Clemson apart.”

Some other standout prospects set to visit Clemson for Saturday’s game are Tuscaloosa County High School (Northport, Ala.) 2023 three-star athlete Sawyer Deerman, Vandegrift (Austin, Texas) 2024 four-star offensive lineman Blake Frazier, Pike Road (Ala.) 2024 three-star defensive end Malik Blocton, North Cobb (Kennesaw, Ga.) 2024 athlete David Eziomume, Carrollton (Ga.) 2026 quarterback Julian Lewis and Dillon (S.C.) 2026 quarterback Josiah Oxendine.

As always, visitor lists like this are fluid and subject to change. But as of Thursday morning, the prospects mentioned in this article are some of the bigger names TCI expects to be on hand Saturday in The Valley.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!