Tag: T.J. Dudley

Former Clemson LB announces SEC transfer destination

A former Clemson LB who was dismissed from the team last week has committed to his new school.

A former Clemson linebacker has announced his transfer destination.

TJ Dudley took to Twitter Friday evening to announce he has committed to Ole Miss to play for Lane Kiffin in the SEC.

Dudley spent his true freshman season with the Tigers before being dismissed from the team last week for violating team rules.

It’s unclear which rule or rules Dudley violated, but Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney briefly commented on his dismissal at ACC media day on Thursday.

“It was a disappointing situation because he’s a good kid and a man,” Swinney said. “He had a chance to be a great player for us this year, so that definitely hurts us. It’s unfortunate, but we’ve got rules, and sometimes it’s just best to get a fresh start. We wish him well.”

Coming out of high school just over one year ago, Dudley was a four-star recruit and the No. 22 linebacker prospect in the class of 2022, according to 247Sports Composite rankings. The Montgomery, Alabama, native was the eighth-highest-ranked recruit in the Tigers’ 2022 class.

With Dudley’s dismissal, Clemson lost depth in the linebacker room beyond Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Barrett Carter and Wade Woodaz.

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The Newcomer Files: T.J. Dudley

Clemson signed 21 players as part of its 2022 recruiting class, some of whom still have yet to make it to campus. Nine signees went through spring practice as early enrollees while the rest, including transfer Hunter Johnson, will arrive on campus …

Clemson signed 21 players as part of its 2022 recruiting class, some of whom still have yet to make it to campus.

Nine signees went through spring practice as early enrollees while the rest, including transfer Hunter Johnson, will arrive on campus this summer. The Clemson Insider is taking a closer look at each newcomer and the likelihood of him contributing immediately this fall based on development and positional need.

TCI previously highlighted Keith Adams Jr. and Sherrod Covil Jr. Next up is T.J. Dudley.

Position: Linebacker

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 220 pounds

Ranking: 4 stars (247Sports Composite)

Previous school: Montgomery (Alabama) Catholic Prep

Early enrollee? No

The skinny: Dudley made Dabo Swinney and the rest of the Tigers’ coaches sweat it out as the last recruit to send his signed National Letter of Intent to Clemson back in February, but Clemson ultimately landed one of the nation’s top linebacker prospects. A consensus four-star recruit, Dudley was a tackling machine in high school, racking up 381 tackles (including 59 for loss) during his prep career. As a senior, he was named the Class 3A Lineman of the Year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Dudley was also a three-time all-state performer.

Dudley has the size and frame that profiles more as an inside ‘backer in college, which could get him on the field sooner rather than later at Clemson. Trenton Simpson, Lavonta Bentley, Keith Maguire and Jeremiah Trotter are still around to help fill the voids left by James Skalski and Baylon Spector at the Mike and Will ‘backer spots, respectively, but there’s not a ton of depth behind that group. Dudley could also potentially help on special teams. Either way, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a player as talented as Dudley contribute in some capacity as a true freshman.

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Coach Speak: High praise for new Clemson signees Dudley, Griffin

T.J. “Bull” Dudley and Kylon Griffin, teammates at Montgomery (Ala.) Catholic, both signed with Clemson on Wednesday. Griffin, a three-star safety, elected to commit to Clemson last week because he wanted Dudley to have his moment. Dudley announced …

T.J. “Bull” Dudley and Kylon Griffin, teammates at Montgomery (Ala.) Catholic, both signed with Clemson on Wednesday.

Griffin, a three-star safety, elected to commit to Clemson last week because he wanted Dudley to have his moment. Dudley announced his decision Wednesday, as the former Oregon pledge, committed to Clemson.

We spoke with Kirk Johnson, who coached both Dudley and Griffin at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory. He took the time Tuesday afternoon to speak with The Clemson Insider regarding the two future Tigers, who both officially put pen to paper, becoming Clemson signees on NSD.

Johnson went into detail about the type of players that Dudley and Griffin are, respectively, while also revealing who they are as men on and off the field.

“T.J.’s a swell kid, man,” Johnson said. “You’re talking about a kid that plays linebacker at a very high level and he can play the piano very fluently. It’s very cool to see. He’s like my son. He never does anything without talking to me. He is always locked in. He sees the bigger picture.”

You may be asking yourself about that “Bull” moniker. Well, Dudley played running back growing up and his running style was comparable to a bull in a china shop. It stuck ever since.

He’s much more refined and detail-oriented in how he plays the linebacker position, though.

As for Griffin, the Tigers are getting an all-around football player, who Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has compared to K’Von Wallace.

“He does so much and he does it at a high level,” Johnson said of Griffin. “He’s a smart kid. He’s an awesome student-athlete, you aren’t gonna have to worry about off-the-field issues and things like that because he doesn’t have any of those.

“As far as him on the field, he’s very instinctive, very calm. The big moment is never too big for him. I’m curious to see what happens when he finally plays his true position and that’s safety. We played him at corner for so long and that’s because he could take away their best player. I’m curious what he looks like fitting into a system that’s gonna play him at his true position.”

Johnson feels that Clemson is a good fit for Griffin and indicated that if it wasn’t, he wouldn’t be going there. Griffin, of course, had other options like Nebraska and Southern Cal, but the former Mississippi State commit pledged to Clemson before he could even make his official visit to USC. Griffin wasn’t going to pass up on what the Tigers were offering him.

“I have a great relationship with my kids,” Johnson said, “and they do a good job of communicating. We have weekly talks. I knew from the get-go that that would be a good spot for him.”

“I think Clemson is a good fit for a lot of high school kids. When your head coach talks about religion and putting God first and understanding that you’re more than just a football player, that’s a place that I give my approval to.”

As far as Clemson’s recruiting approach with his players was concerned, Johnson personally didn’t think the Tigers put their best foot forward until the end. According to Johnson, Dudley wanted to commit to Clemson in the beginning, but they got a linebacker commit (Jaren Kanak) before he could.

As for Griffin, he always had a love for Clemson. They went in a different direction, but things wound up going full circle.

“Once Clemson decided that those were the kids they wanted, I think they did a pretty decent job of communicating and recruiting,” Johnson said. “They offer a lot, so it’s not really a sales pitch that you gotta come with when you’re talking about Clemson University.”

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Late afternoon commitment allows Clemson to finish signing day with a bang

Clemson finished National Signing Day with a bang, picking up a late afternoon commitment from a top prospect in the 2022 class. Montgomery (Ala.) Catholic Preparatory School four-star linebacker T.J. Dudley chose the Tigers during a signing day …

Clemson finished National Signing Day with a bang, picking up a late afternoon commitment from a top prospect in the 2022 class.

Montgomery (Ala.) Catholic Preparatory School four-star linebacker T.J. Dudley chose the Tigers during a signing day ceremony at his school Wednesday afternoon.

Dudley (6-3, 222) is ranked as the No. 11 outside linebacker and No. 143 overall prospect in the 2022 class by Rivals. He picked Clemson over Oregon, Florida and LSU, among many other offers.

A former Oregon commit, Dudley decommitted from the Ducks in early December after former Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal departed to become Miami’s new coach. It was around that time when Clemson, which offered Dudley back in June 2020, re-entered the mix for his services.

The Tigers made a big impression on Dudley when he visited for a junior day back in the spring of 2020, and he returned to campus for an official visit last weekend – a visit that simply reinforced the things he liked about Clemson back then and only strengthened the Tigers’ standing heading into signing day.

Dudley is teammates with Montgomery Catholic Prep 2022 defensive back Kylon Griffin, who committed to the Tigers last week and signed Wednesday as well.

Dudley is one of three linebackers in Clemson’s 2022 class, along with Jesuit High School (Tampa, Fla.)’s Wade Woodaz and Gaither (Tampa, Fla.)’s Kobe McCloud.

Dudley’s career stats include 381 tackles, 59 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and seven interceptions, four of which he returned for touchdowns.

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TCI’s National Signing Day preview: Breaking down commits, targets

The countdown to National Signing Day continues. With Wednesday’s NSD fast approaching, The Clemson Insider wanted to provide a primer to get you ready for the big day as it relates to the Tigers. In the following preview, we break down the …

The countdown to National Signing Day continues. With Wednesday’s NSD fast approaching, The Clemson Insider wanted to provide a primer to get you ready for the big day as it relates to the Tigers.

In the following preview, we break down the commitments that Clemson is set to sign on Wednesday, the targets that the Tigers are in the mix for, and more:

Cole Turner

Vestavia Hills (Ala.) High School wide receiver Cole Turner announced his commitment to the Tigers after his official visit on Sunday, Jan. 16.

Cole, of course, is the younger brother of longtime Clemson safety Nolan Turner. Like his brother before for him, Cole was severely under-recruited coming out of high school.

The Clemson Insider spoke with Vestavia Hills head coach Sean Calhoun, prior to Cole’s offer from Clemson.

“He’s one of those stereotypical guys, who didn’t have much junior film and has a lot of senior film,” Calhoun said. “And, it’s really good and it’s vs. really, really good opponents. He’s a good player.

“Again, he’s just not on recruiting boards because if his senior film was his junior film, he’d be a three/four-star. But, he’s not and I think that the people that do see it and do get on him at this time, whoever gets him is definitely gonna get an absolute diamond in the rough. There’s no doubt about it.”

Myles Oliver

Oliver (6-0, 170) officially verbally pledged to the Tigers on Sunday, Jan. 16. The Douglas County (Douglasville, Ga.) 2022 defensive back, like Turner before him, committed to Clemson after his official visit.

When asked by The Clemson Insider why he pulled the trigger on his commitment to Clemson, Oliver pointed to the coaching staff and the “great campus.”

Across his senior campaign, Oliver recorded five interceptions, 75 total tackles (55 solos), four touchdowns, 101 interception yards and 552 all-purpose yards. He received Douglas County Player of the Year honors for his contributions on the field this season.

Oliver’s head coach at Douglas County, Johnny T. White, talked to TCI in December and spoke about why he believed Clemson would ultimately be a good fit for the under-the-radar defensive back.

“Clemson would be a great place because it’s close to home for him,” White said. “Family’s big to him, so that’s not far. But, at the same time, I think it would be beneficial on both sides. I think he’d end up being a great player for Clemson. I know he’d be a standout guy because he’s a great young man. He’s a better young man than he is a football player, to be honest.”

Kobe McCloud

Kobe McCloud announced his verbal commitment to Clemson Wednesday, Jan. 26, just a mere couple of days after the legacy recruit, who hails from Gaither (Tampa, Fla.), officially visited campus.

McCloud went into detail with The Clemson Insider about his decision to commit to Clemson.

“Really just the love from the coaches,” McCloud said. “Not just the coaches, but their whole staff. I love that vision that they have for me for the next 3-4 years, so that played a big role.”

In a previous conversation with TCI, McCloud outlined his potential role. Clemson feels like he can play anywhere on that second-level, whether it’s at the WILL or MIKE linebacker positions. According to McCloud, Swinney had previously told him that his playstyle reminds him of former Clemson linebackers like B.J. Goodson and Dorian O’Daniel, both of whom went on to play in the NFL.

What can Clemson fans expect out of McCloud?

“I’m a baller on the field and off the field, I’m a great person with good character,” he said. “A person that lights up the room when I walk in. That’s the type of person I am.”

Kylon Griffin

Montgomery Catholic (Ala.) three-star defensive back Kylon Griffin elected to commit to Clemson on Tuesday, Jan. 25.

Even though the fast-rising prospect, who was once committed to Mississippi State, had another official visit on the table, his mind was already made up.

“I think there was no more to be said,” Griffin said. “Clemson has it all and more. I think Dabo Swinney has a great culture up there, that continues to evolve and that the whole staff wants the same thing.”

What role does the coaching staff envision for him?

“They compared me to K’Von Wallace,” Griffin said. “He was all-around the backend when he was there. I’m pretty sure they plan to use me all-around.”

Jahiem Lawson

Jahiem Lawson from nearby Daniel High School publicly committed to the Tigers on Friday, Jan. 28.

Lawson – the younger brother of former Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson, who played for the Tigers from 2013-15 and has spent time in the NFL with the Bills, Dolphins, Texans and Jets – detailed his commitment decision in an interview with The Clemson Insider.

Jahiem (6-4, 215), who received an offer from Dabo Swinney and Clemson on Dec. 20, said he knew for sure a couple of weeks ago that Clemson is where he wanted to continue his academic and athletic career. He told Swinney and his staff that he wanted to be a Tiger while on his official visit to Clemson three weekends ago.

Jahiem chose the Tigers over offers from Missouri, Georgia Tech, Coastal Carolina and Liberty, among numerous other schools.

“The environment is really amazing,” Jahiem said of why he picked Clemson. “Being around the coaches, it’s like a family, and I love that. Going in on my OV (official visit), I just felt so welcomed. That was so exciting for me. So, that made my chances to go to Clemson higher.”

PWOs

Here is a list of all the preferred walk-ons that plan on signing with Clemson on Wednesday:

  • Christ Church Episcopal School (Greenville, S.C.) three-star offensive tackle Mason Johnstone
  • Laurens (S.C.) athlete Michael Mankaka
  • T.L. Hanna (Anderson, S.C.) linebacker Fletcher Cothran
  • Anderson (S.C.) T.L. Hanna offensive lineman Chap Pendergrass
  • Daniel (Central, S.C.) tight end Griffin Batt
  • Daniel (Central, S.C) wide receiver Clay Swinney
  • Daniel (Central, S.C.) quarterback Trent Pearman
  • Central High School (Phenix City, Ala.) quarterback Caleb Nix

Commitment Watch

By now, we know that there are four uncommitted prospects in the 2022 recruiting class that could commit to Clemson on Wednesday.

The Tigers played host this past weekend to a couple of official visitors, so we wanted to pass along the latest we have gathered regarding those official visitors, as well as the other Clemson targets.

T.J. Dudley

One of the uncommitted prospects that Clemson is in strong contention for is T.J. Dudley, a four-star linebacker from Montgomery (Ala.) Catholic Preparatory School who is ranked as the No. 11 outside linebacker and No. 143 overall prospect in the 2022 class by Rivals.

Dudley, a former Oregon commit, decommitted from the Ducks in early December after former Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal departed for Miami. It was around that time when Clemson, which offered Dudley back in June 2020, re-entered the mix for his services.

Clemson made a big impression on Dudley when he visited for a junior day back in the spring of 2020, and he returned to campus for an official visit last weekend – a visit that simply reinforced the things he liked about Clemson back then and only strengthened the Tigers’ standing heading into signing day.

Dudley is teammates with Montgomery Catholic Prep 2022 defensive back Kylon Griffin, who committed to the Tigers last week, and Clemson appears to be the clear frontrunner for Dudley as well. New co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Wes Goodwin has done a good job with Dudley’s recruitment.

Dudley will announce his decision at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Caden Story

We also like where Clemson stands with Caden Story, a four-star defensive tackle from Lanett (Ala.) High School, who is ranked as the No. 20 defensive lineman and No. 147 overall prospect in the 2022 class by 247Sports.

Clemson is one of three stated finalists for Story, along with Florida and Auburn. He committed to the SEC’s Tigers last August but did not end up signing in December, then decommitted from Auburn on Jan. 16. He went to Florida for an official visit this past weekend.

The Tigers made a great impression on Story during his official visit two weekends ago. He has a strong and longstanding relationship with Clemson’s defensive tackles coach and run game coordinator, Nick Eason, who also recruited Story when Eason was at Auburn.

While the Gators gave Story something to think about last weekend, we still believe the Tigers are in a good spot heading into Wednesday.

Story will reveal his college choice at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Keith Adams, Jr.

The other official visitor on campus this weekend was Pine View (Saint George, Utah) 2022 three-star running back Keith Adams, Jr.

“I just liked how everybody treated me,” Adams told The Clemson Insider Sunday. “I just enjoyed spending time with the coaches and the players. I had a lot of fun and the facilities were great.”

Clemson originally offered Adams as a grayshirt back when he was a junior in October 2020, but on Saturday, the Tigers offered him a full ride. According to Adams, Clemson loved his film and they saw him progress throughout the entirety of his high school career, which is why they offered him a full scholarship.

“It meant a lot,” he said, “to actually get it in person, it felt a lot different than receiving it over the phone. It was a special moment for me and my family.”

Adams, of course, is the son of former Clemson All-American linebacker Keith Adams Sr., who went on to play seven years in the NFL and played in the 2005 Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Clemson made a big impression on Adams Jr. and his family this weekend, and while he won’t make his decision known until Wednesday, we like the Tigers’ chances heading into signing day.

Adams will reveal his college choice at 1:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Andrew Paul

Heading into this past weekend, those close to Andrew Paul’s recruitment viewed Clemson as the frontrunner for the Parish Episcopal School (Dallas, Texas) three-star running back. However, Georgia has given him something to think about after his official visit to Athens this past weekend.

As far as his recruitment is concerned, Paul is very closed vest. So much so, that many of those around him are unsure of what he may decide. That being said, while we believe Georgia and Kirby Smart made a big push to land Paul’s commitment, we feel the Tigers still have a legitimate shot to land his signature on Wednesday.

Clemson has certainly put its best foot forward with Paul as well.

“He loved it,” Parish head coach Daniel Novakov said of Paul’s official visit. “He loved the place. He loved the people. He loved Coach Swinney. I think he really liked the kids he visited. I think he liked everything about it.”

The Tigers have been recruiting Paul hard since C.J. Spiller was in attendance for Paul’s state playoff game last month. Clemson’s running backs coach stayed for the entire game. That went a long way with Paul and his trainer Brandon Williams, who trains the three-star running back at FASST Performance & Fitness and has done so for the past three and a half years.

“That showed me not just the value, but the perception that I got from C.J. standing there the entire time just tells me where their relationship is with Andrew,” Williams said. ‘“Hey, this young man is what we want. It’s been amazing to see all those things, especially the respect level.”

Paul has built a close relationship with Spiller. He’ll have a tough decision to make between Clemson, Georgia and Michigan.

Paul will announce his decision at 12:20 p.m. Wednesday.

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Friday night visitors update

We wanted to pass along some updates about the visitors that will be or were supposed to be on campus this weekend. As expected Montgomery (Ala.) Catholic 2022 four-star linebacker T.J. Dudley has arrived on campus for his official visit this …

We wanted to pass along some updates about the visitors that will be or were supposed to be on campus this weekend.

As expected Montgomery (Ala.) Catholic 2022 four-star linebacker T.J. Dudley has arrived on campus for his official visit this weekend. Dudley, of course, is teammates with Clemson’s three-star safety commit Kylon Griffin.

Griffin committed to Clemson on Tuesday, just a couple of days after his own official visit. He detailed his commitment decision with The Clemson Insider, which you can read here.

Dudley, a former Oregon commit, is ranked as the nation’s No. 11 outside linebacker and No. 143 overall prospect nationally, per Rivals. He backed off his Oregon pledge after Mario Cristobal left to take the head coaching job at the University of Miami.

Don’t expect a quick resolution after this weekend, though. Griffin told us that Dudley plans to announce his commitment on National Signing Day, Wednesday, Feb. 2.

Dudley isn’t the only official visitor who will be on campus this weekend, though.

Another prospect taking an official visit to Clemson this weekend is a legacy recruit, St. George (Utah) Pine View 2022 three-star running back Keith Adams Jr. — the son of former Clemson All-American linebacker Keith Adams Sr., who went on to play seven years in the NFL and played in the 2005 Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The younger Adams earned a grayshirt offer from Clemson via Dabo Swinney himself back when he was a junior in October 2020.

“Dabo Swinney called,” Adams Jr., told The Clemson Insider then. “He was just like, he liked everything he saw on film and I’m one of the most physical backs he’s seen on film this year. So, I was really excited about that.”

As a senior this past season, Adams Jr. rushed for 1,376 yards, had 309 receiving yards and scored 24 total touchdowns.

Adams Jr. will sign with either Clemson, Air Force, Marshall or USF this Wednesday, Feb. 2.

In a bit of a surprise move, Westside (Jacksonville, Fla.) 2023  four-star defensive tackle Jordan “Big Baby” Hall, announced that he will be on campus Saturday for Clemson’s Elite Junior Day.

The Clemson Insider spoke with Hall back in mid-January, and he was just beginning to form his relationship with Wes Goodwin.

According to Hall, Clemson’s defensive coordinator/linebackers told the big-time defensive lineman that he likes his film and likes the way he plays. Goodwin also asked him if he had any interest in Clemson.

“We were really just having a good conversation and building a bond,” Hall said. “I actually like him. He’s a cool dude. It was a pretty standard conversation, nothing much to it. He was showing that he was interested in me, though.”

As for a defensive lineman, who we were expecting to be on campus this weekend, Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola four-star Derrick LeBlanc announced on Twitter that he had arrived in Norman Friday.

LeBlanc, who received an offer from Clemson last September, named the Tigers one of his final seven schools in December along with Florida, Miami, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State and UCF.

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Texas Football Recruiting: Four-star OLB from Alabama receives offer

Four-star T.J. Dudley was extended an offer by Texas on Monday. Playing at OLB, he would fit perfectly with Pete Kwiatkowski’s scheme.

When Texas poached Steve Sarkisian from Alabama, its recruiting board was expanded to the national level. The Longhorns have dipped into California and even into SEC territory. On Monday, another prospect from the state of Alabama was offered.

Four-star outside linebacker T.J. Dudley announced that he has received an offer from Texas. The Montgomery native could fit in as a Jack or X in Pete Kwiatkowski’s defensive scheme.

Going up against Nick Saban is no easy task, especially for a non-SEC program. Dudley’s top schools at the moment consist of Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, LSU and Oregon.

Rating

Stars Overall Position State
247 4 198 16 10
Rivals 4 133 13 6
ESPN 4 217 21 11
247 Composite 4 171 15 9

Vitals

Hometown Montgomery, Alabama
Projected Position Outside linebacker
Height 6-2
Weight 210

Recruitment

  • Offered on March 29, 2021
  • No visit yet

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