Tag: reid mikeska

Florida targeting this TE recruit after re-evaluating depth at the position

After holding off on recruiting tight ends early on in the cycle, Florida has changed course and offered this Texas recruit.

With Billy Napier‘s recruiting staff in place, the Gators have done a great job going after high-school talent that fits the team’s needs. One position that’s been neglected is tight end, largely because the staff felt that the team had enough depth at that spot.

However, it became clear to the staff after just a few weeks of spring practice that the Gators would need to add some depth at tight end. That’s where Bridgeland (Cypress, Texas) three-star recruit Reid Mikeska comes in. Tight ends coach William Peagler offered him on Wednesday, according to 247Sports, and he’s looking to make a trip to the Swamp in the near future.

“Basically he was telling me their plans were to not take a tight end in the 2023 class a couple of months ago,” Mikeska said. “They got into spring practice and realized they didn’t have as much depth as they thought. They feel like they would need some help from the 2023 class to come in.”

Peagler and Mikeska have been in contact for a few months and had set up an early visit March visit that ultimately fell through. He hopes to make it to Gainesville in April or May to meet everyone in person.

Mikeska grew up a Gators fan living in Florida before moving to Texas. No stranger to the program, UF appears to be in a good spot moving forward with him.

“I have always been a Florida fan since I was a kid,” he said. “I loved how they used Kyle Pitts there. I love how they are in the SEC. Those offers are big for me.”

Several Power five programs are looking at Mikeska. LSU and Kentucky recently offered the 6-foot-5-inch, 233-pounder, and he’s visiting Alabama and Auburn this weekend. Miami is also on the itinerary for April.

After spring unofficial visits, Mikeska will narrow down his options and begin to take officials in June.

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Clemson visit ‘definitely’ exceeded expectations of newly offered Texas TE

An elite tight end prospect from Texas visited Clemson for the first time this past Saturday and came away from the visit very impressed and with an offer in hand. Bridgeland High School (Cypress, Texas) four-star Reid Mikeska was among the recruits …

An elite tight end prospect from Texas visited Clemson for the first time this past Saturday and came away from the visit very impressed and with an offer in hand.

Bridgeland High School (Cypress, Texas) four-star Reid Mikeska was among the recruits on campus for the Tigers’ “spring elite day” — their second junior day of the year.

“It was great,” Mikeska told The Clemson Insider regarding his weekend trip to Clemson. “I loved it and had a great time. It was amazing and definitely exceeded my expectations.”

Mikeska went up to Clemson this past weekend — not knowing if we would get an offer or not — because as he understands it, getting an offer from the Tigers is very rare and they take their time with the whole recruiting process.

He went through the whole junior day festivities and at the very end, Dabo Swinney took Mikeska into his office and offered him in person. He couldn’t remember his exact reaction, but Mikeska recalls himself spacing out.

“It was incredible,” he said of receiving an offer from Clemson’s head coach. “It didn’t even feel real. It was surreal and it’s probably one of the coolest moments of my life. It meant a lot to me and my family for him to do that because it was late at night and it was on his time, so it was really cool.”

Mikeska only got to see about 30 minutes of practice, but from what he saw, he was impressed with the individual drills that Clemson’s tight ends participated in. He was also impressed with how Kyle Richardson coached his position group and how the practice itself was scheduled.

While he had previously developed a relationship with Richardson, this was Mikeska’s first time meeting Clemson’s tight ends coach in person.

“He seemed like a great coach, who has good relationships with his players,” he said of Richardson. “He’s even better in person and he’s a great guy with great energy. You can tell that he cares about his players and the relationships with his players.”

The favorite part of his visit to campus was, of course, getting the offer, but Mikeska also loved touring the athletic facilities and meeting all the coaches, including Swinney.

Mikeska, a top Texas tight end recruit, was born in the Carolinas and has a cousin that goes to Clemson. Needless to say, this past weekend’s visit left him concluding that Clemson is probably the most family-oriented team he’s been around.

“Coach Swinney takes care of his players,” he said, “even long after football.”

Now that Mikeska has the offer he was working towards, where do the Tigers currently stand in his recruitment?

“Easily one of my type schools, for sure,” Mikeska said. “They definitely helped themselves with this visit. They were already one of my top schools without offering me and I saw the campus and they offered. So, that moves them up even higher.

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

Tigers offer 4-star Texas tight end

A four-star tight end from the Lone Star State picked up an offer from Clemson on Saturday while on campus for the Tigers’ junior day. Bridgeland High School (Cypress, Texas)’s Reid Mikeska announced the offer from the Tigers via Twitter on Saturday …

A four-star tight end from the Lone Star State picked up an offer from Clemson on Saturday while on campus for the Tigers’ junior day.

Bridgeland High School (Cypress, Texas)’s Reid Mikeska announced the offer from the Tigers via Twitter on Saturday night.

Mikeska, who was born in the Carolinas, has a cousin that goes to Clemson and all his family lives in the area. He told The Clemson Insider earlier this year that an offer from the Tigers would “mean everything” to him.

“Ever since I was a kid, I loved Clemson,” he said. “It would mean a lot. It would be huge for me.”

How would Mikeska describe himself as a player to someone who’s never seen him play before?

“I would definitely describe myself as a big, physical, athletic tight end, who can play it all,” he said. “I play in the slot, I play H-back and I play hand in the dirt. I can just do anything that an offense would need me to do.”

According to Mikeska, Clemson tight ends coach Kyle Richardson loves his size, how he moves and his blocking.

“He’s a fan of how I can do it all,” Mikeska added.

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Top talent flocking to Tiger Town for Clemson’s ‘spring elite day’

Clemson is set to host a slew of top prospects today for its second junior day of the year, which the Tigers are dubbing their “spring elite day” for recruits in the class of 2023. Among the headliners expected to be in attendance is Central (Phenix …

Clemson is set to host a slew of top prospects today for its second junior day of the year, which the Tigers are dubbing their “spring elite day” for recruits in the class of 2023.

Among the headliners expected to be in attendance is Central (Phenix City, Ala.) five-star A.J. Harris, the nation’s No. 2 cornerback and No. 17 overall prospect in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder has made multiple trips to Tiger Town and is a priority target for the Tigers. Last September, he released a top seven comprised of Clemson, Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Georgia and Ohio State.

Harris will be joined on campus by a host of other talented defensive backs, including Harris’ teammate at Central, cornerback Quintavious Billingsley; Lake Mary (Fla.) four-star cornerback Braedan Marshall; Eagles Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) three-star cornerback Colton Hood; Daniel (Central, S.C.) cornerback Misun Kelley; North Oconee (Bogart, Ga.) cornerback Khalil Barnes; Loachapoka (Auburn, Ala.) cornerback Jacorious Hart; Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.) three-star safety Robert Billings; and A.C. Reynolds (Asheville, N.C.) safety Dashawn Stone.

Another headliner slated to be on hand for the spring elite day is Oceanside Collegiate Academy (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) four-star offensive lineman Monroe Freeling.

It will mark his first visit to Clemson since attending the Florida State game in late October of last year. He was also on campus last June to participate in the Dabo Swinney Camp, after which he picked up an offer from the Tigers.

Freeling said during a recent interview with The Clemson Insider that the Tigers “stand highly” in his recruitment heading into today’s visit.

“I really loved the culture there when I first went up and I’ve been maintaining a good relationship with (offensive line) coach (Thomas) Austin,” he said, “and I’m just looking forward to growing it some more when I get out there.”

Along with Clemson, which is heavily pursuing Freeling, he named Miami and Notre Dame as a couple of schools that have been recruiting him the hardest.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Freeling is the No. 1 prospect in South Carolina, No. 9 offensive tackle nationally and No. 82 overall prospect for the 2023 class.

South Point (Belmont, N.C.) four-star offensive lineman Sullivan Absher will also return to Clemson after picking up an offer from the Tigers in February – an offer that he told TCI he “had been working for, for a very long time.”  He previously traveled to Clemson twice during this past season – first for the Boston College game in October and then for the Wake Forest game in November.

Another big-time offensive lineman will be on campus today as well in Eagles Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) four-star tackle Zechariah Owens.

As for the defensive linemen expected to be among the junior day visitors, there are several prominent prospects, namely St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) four-star David Ojiegbe, Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville, Ala.) four-star Hunter Osborne, Rome (Ga.) four-star Stephiylan Green, Upson-Lee (Thomaston, Ga.) four-star T.J. Searcy and Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star A.J. Hoffler.

A bunch of other standout class of 2023 prospects are on the expected guest list for the spring elite day, as well, including Hickory Ridge (Harrisburg, N.C.) four-star wide receiver Christian Hamilton; Bridgeland (Cypress, Texas) four-star tight end Reid Mikeska; Denmark (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star linebacker Dee Crayton; Fairfax (Va.) four-star linebacker Tony Rojas; F.W. Buchholz (Gainesville, Fla.) three-star wide receiver Creed Whittemore; Maiden (N.C.) High School three-star wide receiver Chris Culliver; Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) three-star athlete Jordan Bass; Sumter (S.C.) athlete Zyeir Gamble; and Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.) running back Jarvis Green.

A few notable 2024 prospects are planning to visit Clemson today, too, in Carrollwood Day (Tampa, Fla.) four-star defensive back Tavoy Feagin, Weddington (Matthews, N.C.) tight end Brooks Mauk and Towers (Decatur, Ga.) wide receiver/cornerback Keshawn Weathers.

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4-star Texas TE sets Clemson visit

The Clemson Insider has confirmed another visitor for Clemson’s junior day on March 5. Bridgeland (Texas) High School four-star Reid Mikeska will be making his first visit to The Valley since Clemson and tight ends coach Kyle Richardson sparked …

The Clemson Insider has confirmed another visitor for Clemson’s junior day on March 5.

Bridgeland (Texas) High School four-star Reid Mikeska will be making his first visit to The Valley since Clemson and tight ends coach Kyle Richardson sparked interest in him. Mikeska — a 6-foot-6, 230-pound junior — ranks as the No. 20 tight end in the class of 2023, per Rivals.

“I’m super excited,” he said regarding the prospect of visiting Clemson. “That’s actually my dream school if I were to go anywhere, it would definitely be Clemson if I had my choice. Super excited about that. Really excited that the coaches are interested in me.”

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

Clemson ‘dream school’ for 4-star Texas TE

The Clemson Insider has the latest on a tight end in the 2023 recruiting class that Clemson has recently sparked interest in. A couple of months ago, some Clemson staff members followed Bridgeland (Texas) High School’s four-star tight end, Reid …

The Clemson Insider has the latest on a tight end in the 2023 recruiting class that Clemson has recently sparked interest in.

A couple of months ago, some Clemson staff members followed Bridgeland (Texas) High School’s four-star tight end, Reid Mikeska, on Twitter. He didn’t think much of it then, but since Kyle Richardson has taken over the tight ends room, he has received more and more interest from the Tigers.

“Recently, they reached out and said they really liked my film,” Mikeska told The Clemson Insider. “I talked with Coach Richardson a couple of times and they definitely love my film. They love me as a player and they just want to continue to build a relationship. Clemson takes things slow recruiting wise and they told me to be patient.”

Mikeska is looking forward to continuing to build his relationship with Richardson.

Richardson, of course, took over as Clemson’s tight ends coach and passing game coordinator after Tony Elliott departed to become the head coach at the University of Virginia this offseason. He has been a key off-field contributor to Clemson’s offensive success since 2016. Prior to that, he served as a head coach of Northwestern High School (Rock Hill, S.C.) from 2011-15.

“I really like him,” Mikeska said of Richardson, “just from a couple of times when I talked to him. Definitely like him a lot.”

What do his conversations with Richardson generally entail?

First off, they are just getting to know each other and getting a feel for another. Clemson wants Mikeska to come up for a visit this spring and then wants him to come back later in the summer. According to Mikeska, the Tigers want him to camp at Clemson, so they can coach him up, get a good look at him and have a chance to meet with him.

“I’m super excited,” he said regarding the prospect of visiting Clemson. “That’s actually my dream school if I were to go anywhere, it would definitely be Clemson if I had my choice. Super excited about that. Really excited that the coaches are interested in me.”

Mikeska was born in the Carolinas, he has a cousin that goes to Clemson and all his family lives in the area. So he remains hopeful that a Clemson offer will eventually come his way when the time is right.

“It would mean everything,” Mikeska said. “Ever since I was a kid, I loved Clemson. It would mean a lot. It would be huge for me.”

As far as his recruitment is concerned, Mikesaka is gonna let the process play out and visit as many places as he can. So far this month, he’s visited Michigan, Michigan State and TCU and with that, the offers continue to pile up.

Since Dec. 1, 2021, Mikeska has earned offers from Baylor, Texas Tech, Houston, Purdue, Michigan State, Colorado, Memphis, North Texas, Iowa State, Virginia, Tennessee, Kansas and Mizzou, who came in with an offer late Thursday night.

Mikeska felt like he was able to display what he’s able to do this past season and put on film what he wanted to during his junior campaign. He helped Bridgeland reach the Texas 6A State Quarterfinals.

How would Mikeska describe himself as a player to someone who’s never seen him play before?

“I would definitely describe myself as a big, physical, athletic tight end, who can play it all,” he said. “I play in the slot, I play H-back and I play hand in the dirt. I can just do anything that an offense would need me to do.”

According to Mikeska, Richardson loves his size, how he moves and his blocking.

“He’s a fan of how I can do it all,” Mikeska added.

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

Spartans latest power five school to offer 2023 Texas TE Reid Mikeska

Michigan State football has extended a scholarship offer to 2023 Texas TE prospect Reid Mikeska

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Michigan State football has extended a scholarship offer to 2023 Texas tight end prospect Reid Mikeska.

Mikeska — who is listed at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds — announced the scholarship offer from the Spartans on Saturday. He hails from Cypress, Texas and plays for Bridgeland High.

Mikeska is currently unranked on 247Sports, but has already received plenty of attention from big-time programs. Along with the scholarship offer from the Spartans, Mikeska has offers from Baylor, Houston, Kansas State, Pitt, Purdue, Texas Tech and UTSA.

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