Tag: T.J. Moore

Clemson off to blazing start vs. Florida State, leads 17-0 after first quarter

Clemson leads big after one quarter of play in Tallahassee.

The Clemson Tigers are off and running again.

After one quarter of play at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, the Tigers lead the Florida State Seminoles, 17-0.

For the fourth straight game, the Tigers got on the board first, picking up their first points off a 26-yard field goal from Nolan Hauser with 6:33 to play in the first quarter for a 3-0 lead.

On their next possession, Cade Klubnik hit Antonio Williams for a 57-yard touchdown to put the Tigers ahead 10-0 with 3:20 to play in the first quarter.

Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell picked off Seminoles quarterback Brock Glenn on the ensuing drive to give the Tigers the ball near midfield. Klubnik ran 14 yards to the FSU 35 for a first down but had to leave the game for one play after taking a hard hit from a Florida State defender.

Klubnik returned on the next snap and promptly found freshman T.J. Moore for a 23-yard touchdown to make it 17-0 following Hauser’s extra point with just 2 seconds left in the opening quarter.

It looks like a long night ahead for the Seminoles.

 

Contact/Follow us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions. 

T.J. Moore on why he chose Clemson, teams trying to ‘bribe’ him

Moore on how he chose Clemson.

Freshman wide receiver TJ Moore shared his recruitment journey during his first media appearance at Clemson on Tuesday, recounting how things started slowly before taking off after his junior season. “It didn’t start until spring of my sophomore year,” Moore said. “At first it started off slow, but after one game it started to blow up.” After catching four passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns in his first game, he received offers from about 20 schools. Clemson offered Moore after his junior season, and following an official visit, he made his commitment, turning down offers from other programs.

“When it came down to making my final decision, there were teams throwing money at me, this and that, trying to bribe me,” Moore explained. “But Clemson felt right. Clemson is what I was taught to like when I was a kid.” Moore highlighted the strong relationship he formed with head coach Dabo Swinney. “Coach Swinney is a great role model, matter of fact. He says hi to you three or four times a day. He calls my mom. He keeps great contact with my family,” Moore added.

Now in his first season with the Tigers, Moore made his debut in Clemson’s season opener against Georgia and followed it up with a solid performance against Appalachian State, catching three passes for 44 yards and scoring his first career touchdown. Reflecting on his decision, Moore said, “I just really respect coach Swinney. Just Clemson in general made me feel great, and I just knew that was the right decision.”

Clemson freshman T.J. Moore scores first career touchdown, Clemson leads 49-7

Moore gets involved for his first career touchdown.

Clemson’s passing attack has been on fire against the Appalachian State Mountaineers.

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik is lighting Appalachian State’s defense, scoring five touchdowns in the first quarter. Klubnik started with a 76-yard touchdown to Bryant Wesco, quickly followed by a two-yard rushing score. After Phil Mafah broke free for an 83-yard touchdown, Klubnik connected with Jake Briningstool on a 41-yard pass and added a 29-yard strike to Antonio Williams to cap off an explosive quarter.

The Tigers’ offense, which struggled in Week 1, looked unstoppable, with big plays coming from multiple key players. Klubnik’s ability to spread the ball around and find the open man energized the team and crowd alike.

The thing is, a five-touchdown first half wasn’t enough for Klubnik. To extend the lead to 49-7, Klubnik connected with freshman wide receiver T.J. Moore for a 33-yard touchdown. It was Moore’s first career touchdown, as the Tigers’ offense looks unstoppable.

Dabo Swinney explains why Bryant Wesco, T.J. Moore lacked playing time against Georgia

Swinney explains why Clemson’s two stud freshman wide receivers didn’t play much.

Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore arrived at Clemson with plenty of hype, earning high praise from coaches and teammates ahead of the 2024 season. However, their limited action in Clemson’s 34-3 season-opening loss to Georgia left some wondering why the talented freshmen weren’t more involved.

Addressing this during a Sunday conference call, Dabo Swinney explained that the Tigers’ offensive struggles and limited plays were factors. “We wanted more, and we only had 52 plays,” Swinney said. “There wasn’t a lot of plays in the game… just never really got in the rhythm of things.” Wesco and Moore did see the field, with Wesco playing around “12-14 snaps,” according to Swinney, and both made their first career receptions in the fourth quarter.

Looking ahead, Swinney assured that the young receivers will get more opportunities as the season progresses. “You’ll continue to see those guys stepping up and getting more opportunity,” he said, emphasizing that Clemson’s depth at receiver means competition will dictate playing time week to week.

Wesco, ranked as ESPN’s No. 7 wideout in the 2024 class, and Moore, ESPN’s No. 12 receiver, both have impressive high school resumes and are expected to become key contributors for the Tigers as they gain more experience.

Swinney may lean on freshman wide receivers Wesco and Moore, who will ‘play all year’

Wesco and Moore to have big roles in Clemson’s offense?

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney highlighted true freshmen Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore as key contributors for the upcoming game against Georgia. Swinney is confident that both wide receivers will play a significant role throughout the season.

“Wesco and Moore, those guys are ready to go,” Swinney said. “We’re going to need them on the field all year.”

On the defensive side, linebacker Sammy Brown has secured a spot on the two-deep depth chart and will be heavily involved in special teams. Swinney mentioned that a few other freshmen might see action, although their roles could evolve as the season progresses.

“We’ve got some players who might get in the game, but we’ll decide on their long-term roles later,” Swinney said.

Swinney also noted the development of offensive linemen Elyjah Thurmon and Mason Wade, who are expected to contribute this season. According to Swinney, the Tigers have around ten or eleven offensive linemen they can rely on, including Thurmon and Wade, who are progressing well.

In addition to the wide receivers and linemen, Swinney announced earlier in the week that true freshman Nolan Hauser has been named the starting kicker for the season opener against Georgia.

Clemson Labeled as a Loser from College Football’s 2024 Recruiting Cycle by 247Sports

According to 247Sports, Clemson is a loser from the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Clemson has a strong 2024 recruiting class, but it wasn’t strong enough for 247Sports to label them a winner from the recruiting cycle. 

Rather, Clemson has been named a loser in the 2024 recruiting cycle, and the explanation for the label is… interesting. From their perspective, Clemson being outside of the top 10 can’t be happening. 

Typically, Clemson wins in recruiting. They win with top players. They landed two top players this cycle. That list usually has 5-10. When you look at the middle of the pack guys, they have developmental players. I’m not saying that they don’t have players that can help them win. But this is Clemson. They beat Alabama twice in the national championship game. They’re taking a step backward. They should be in the top 5; now they’re out of the top 10.

Let’s talk about this for a second. Clemson is No.11 in the country according to 247Sports rankings, but with the way this writer is speaking, you’d assume they are off the face of the planet and have a recruiting class outside of the top 20. They are right there at No.11, and this class has some excellent talent.

Let’s also reflect on the past. Is this class as highly touted as one of the past? No… but neither was their 2023 class, which ranked No.11 for 247Sports. If being ranked 11 was such a big deal, wouldn’t Clemson’s 2023 class have also suffered? There were even rumblings from analysts saying exactly this last year, and what happened? Well, what happened was that Clemson had one of the best and most impactful freshmen classes in the country.

While I understand the expectation side of things, I would not label Clemson a loser from this recruiting cycle. The talent is there, and this coaching staff has proven they can assess talent at an elite level.

Clemson Football’s 2024 Recruiting Class After Final 247Sports Player Rankings

Here is a look at Clemson’s 2024 recruiting class with their final 247Sports player rankings.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson coaching crew continue their remarkable work, aiming to replicate the success of their 2023 recruiting triumphs with the incoming 2024 class.

The 2024 prospects showcase promise on paper, with the class finalizing its roster just yesterday. Clemson secured commitments from two preferred walk-ons, Parker Fulghum and Clark Sanderson, providing depth at wide receiver to complement the standout talents already secured.

With these latest additions, Clemson’s 2024 recruiting class stands complete and primed for the upcoming season. Below, we delve into the roster, highlighting each recruit’s placement in the final 247Sports Composite Rankings as Clemson gears up for the challenges of the 2024 campaign.

Clemson Football’s 2024 Recruiting Class

Here is a look at Clemson football’s 2024 recruiting class after adding two preferred walk-on wide receivers.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson coaching staff did a phenomenal job with their 2023 recruiting class and look to strike the same magic they did in 2023 with their 2024 class. 

The 2024 class looks great on paper, and it looks like the class wrapped things up yesterday. The Tigers added two preferred walk-ons in wide receivers Parker Fulghum and Clark Sanderson, adding depth at wide receiver behind the two studs they have already in this class. 

With these additions, we have a clean, full look at what Clemson’s 2024 recruiting class looks like as the program prepares for the 2024 season. Below is a look at each recruit in the Tigers’ 2024 class and where they are ranked in the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Updated 1/31

12 Tigers in the final Rivals250 rankings for the 2024 class

12 Tigers landed in Rivals final Rivals250 rankings for the 2024 recruiting class.

For some teams, recruiting means a lot. For a team like Clemson, it means that much more.

Modern college football is very different from what some of us remember growing up. Year after year, the game changes and differs from what we once knew. Right now, the transfer portal is going wild as teams use the portal to build their teams. Each team is different with the transfer portal, but if you look at a team like Florida State from 2023, a majority of a team’s starting lineup can come directly through the portal.

That is not the case for Clemson, who simply doesn’t use the transfer portal often (or even at all, depending on the season). Therefore, recruiting means everything for Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program. Luckily for Clemson fans, Swinney and his staff are great at recruiting.

Rivals recently released their final Rivals250 rankings for the 2024 class, with 12 Tigers making the rankings. Here is a look at each of those Tigers and where they rank.

Where Clemson’s 2024 recruiting class ranks after finalized Top247

Here is a look at where Clemson’s 2024 recruiting class ranks following 247Sports finalized Top247 rankings.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson coaching staff have continually done an excellent job recruiting, and that didn’t change with the Tigers’ 2024 recruiting class.

While other programs build their teams through the transfer portal and recruiting, it is ALL recruiting for Clemson, which makes hitting on these recruits that much more essential. Luckily for Clemson fans, Swinney and his guys know how to recruit. 

247Spors recently updated their Top 25 classes after finalizing the Top247 in the 2024 cycle, with Clemson landing at No.12 in the country. 

Clemson continues to shy away from the transfer portal, which means the focus for Dabo Swinney remains on high school recruiting. The Tigers signed one of the top classes in the ACC with a pair of five-stars in linebacker Sammy Brown and wide receiver Bryant Wesco highlighting the haul for the 2024 cycle. Talent development is still the plan of attack for Swinney as he enters 2024 at Clemson.

Clemson had some huge hits in this class, headlined by linebacker Sammy Brown. According to 247Sports composite rankings, Brown is the No.2 linebacker and No.17 overall player in the class.

On the offensive end, Clemson needed help at wide receiver, and they got it in two five-star recruits. Bryant Wesco is a composite 5-star, and T.J. Moore was recently upgraded to a 5-star for 247Sports site rankings.

This class could be yet another fantastic one.