There’s been plenty of hype surrounding Clemson freshman wide receiver Adam Randall this spring, and receivers coach Tyler Grisham has been very impressed with the highly regarded Myrtle Beach High School product as well. “Adam Randall, everyone’s …
There’s been plenty of hype surrounding Clemson freshman wide receiver Adam Randall this spring, and receivers coach Tyler Grisham has been very impressed with the highly regarded Myrtle Beach High School product as well.
“Adam Randall, everyone’s raving about him, and for good reason,” Grisham said following Monday’s practice. “Because he doesn’t look like a freshman. Physically, you can see that. But out there on the field, he’s a quick learner. Comes from a great program at Myrtle Beach High School, and very similar concepts to what we run. So, all it is for him is really new terminology. He’s done these concepts before. So, he’s making plays. He knows where to be, and I think for him, you just see a big, physically imposing guy that uses his frame, using God’s gift to his ability. He’s a great pass catcher, very natural pass catcher. So, that’s been great.”
Listed at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, Randall parlayed an impressive 2021 season at Myrtle Beach into being one of five finalists for “Mr. Football” in South Carolina. The national top-125 player was a first-team All-State 4A selection by the South Carolina Coaches Association and was selected to the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando in January. He also played in the North-South All-Star Game in Myrtle Beach and was a Shrine Bowl selection for South Carolina as well.
As a senior, Randall had 1,267 receiving yards on 65 catches with 16 touchdowns, to go with 325 yards rushing on just 45 attempts (7.2 yards per rush) and seven touchdowns, giving him 1,592 yards from scrimmage and 23 touchdowns.
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Clemson has begun to show interest in one of the nation’s top receivers in the class of 2024. Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.) four-star Ny Carr had the chance to meet Tyler Grisham during the live period in January. In a recent conversation with The …
Clemson has begun to show interest in one of the nation’s top receivers in the class of 2024.
Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.) four-star Ny Carr had the chance to meet Tyler Grisham during the live period in January. In a recent conversation with The Clemson Insider, Carr went into detail about what he heard from Clemson’s wide receivers coach.
“He welcomed me with open arms like I was one of his players,” Carr said. “He talked to me. He just told me how much he liked my game and how I play. He wanted me to get up there sometime and he wants to keep in contact with me.”
What did hearing from Grisham mean to him?
“That’s crazy,” Carr said. “He’s a big-time coach and a receiver coach at that — my position. That’s just awesome.”
According to Carr, Grisham likes his ability to take the top off the defense, which is what he predicates his game upon. When asked to describe himself as a player, Carr made sure to use the word “explosive.”
Hearing from a school like Clemson, especially when considering the program’s history of developing players at his position, means a lot to Carr. He recalled watching Justyn Ross’ performance in the National Championship Game against Alabama. The now-former Clemson receiver caught six passes for 153 yards with a touchdown.
That performance put Clemson on Carr’s radar.
“I watched his highlights and I got some of my releases that I did this year from him,” he said. “I was actually looking into Clemson because of him.”
Carr would like to get up to Clemson in the near future, but he’ll need to communicate with his head coach about finding a time to visit. In the meantime, he’s seen his recruitment just take off. Since last month, he’s picked up offers from South Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Southern Cal, Tennessee and Ohio State.
It was just a matter of teams at the next level getting a hold of his sophomore year film.
“It’s crazy,” he said. “For me personally, I think I had the best sophomore season in the United States.”
Carr made a return visit to Athens on March 18 after first visiting the University of Georgia in late January. He also said that he’s planning on visiting Penn State.
— Photo courtesy of Ny Carr
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Clemson is showing interest in a fast-rising receiver from the state of Alabama. The Clemson Insider recently caught up with Moody (Ala.) three-star receiver Davion Dozier, who has kept in constant contact with Tyler Grisham and is focusing on …
Clemson is showing interest in a fast-rising receiver from the state of Alabama.
The Clemson Insider recently caught up with Moody (Ala.) three-star receiver Davion Dozier, who has kept in constant contact with Tyler Grisham and is focusing on building a relationship with Clemson’s wide receivers coach.
“They want me to get me up there on campus,” Dozier said. “I was supposed to be up there on (March) 5th, but I ended up going to Tennessee. I talk to Coach Grisham a lot on the phone, we text and we’re building a relationship.”
“Right now, we just talk,” he continued. “I was supposed to go see him, but I couldn’t make it up there.”
Clemson’s history at the receiver position is intriguing to Dozier, who describes himself as a big target, who can go up and get the ball and make all the necessary plays.
“He told me that he loves everything,” Dozier said of Grisham. “He told me that he’s been keeping track since my sophomore year. That’s when he first started and he told me that I’m getting bigger and better.”
Dozier thinks he’s close to earning an offer from Clemson, but acknowledged that Grisham has talked more to his head coach at Moody about it.
In any event, he’s started to see his recruitment pick up as he’s earned offers from schools like Maryland, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, South Florida, North Texas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama and Troy.
According to Dozier, these offers rolling in is just a matter of college teams getting a hold of his junior year film. He’ll be back at the University of Tennessee this weekend after visiting Knoxville back on March 5. Dozier also made his way to Georgia Tech on March 12.
Dozier estimates that he’ll be making his way up to Clemson this summer.
“It’s big,” he said in regard to receiving interest from Clemson. “I think I just have to go up there and camp with them. I just know it’s gonna be big and probably the best thing I’ve seen.”
— Photo courtesy of Davion Dozier
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The Clemson Insider caught up with a talented North Carolina wideout, who was on campus two weekends ago. Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.) four-star Alex Taylor – a 6-foot-3, 175-pound sophomore in the class of 2024 – was at Clemson for an unofficial …
The Clemson Insider caught up with a talented North Carolina wideout, who was on campus two weekends ago.
Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.) four-star Alex Taylor — a 6-foot-3, 175-pound sophomore in the class of 2024 – was at Clemson for an unofficial visit on Saturday, March 12.
“It was really good,” he said. “I really liked it a lot. I’d definitely say the receiver meeting with Coach Grisham was my favorite part of the visit. He was talking about their receivers in the past compared to other teams and the schemes they run. It was nice seeing how they compare against other big-time colleges.”
“They’re a more prestigious college, so I already knew it was going to be big,” he continued. “I liked the receivers a lot, the coaching staff. They have like 27 former players on the coaching staff. That’s really nice seeing just different players from the past teaching you.”
Prior to his visit, Taylor had been on two phone calls with Tyler Grisham. Clemson’s receivers coach has also spoken plenty with Taylor’s head coach at Grimsley as well. Grisham indicated that he would like to come up to Greensboro (N.C.) and see some of their games this year.
“It was very nice, especially meeting him in person,” Taylor said. “Building a better bond. He ate with us and so did his wife and the rest of his family. So just building a better relationship, trying to get closer to Coach Grisham and Clemson.”
While on his visit, Taylor was able to take in spring practice. He liked how Grisham ran his practices and is definitely a fan of how different the speed is at the college level, how hard the hits are and some big-time catches from Clemson’s receivers.
“I would say (the visit) is definitely up there,” he said. “Seeing how they do things there, how Coach Swinney pushes that you have to graduate. He’s gonna keep calling you, even after you leave early. He’s gonna keep calling you and telling you gotta get that degree.”
What was the message Taylor received from the coaching staff while he was on campus?
“They’re more looking at the junior class right now, the class that’s about to come in and how many guys they’ve offered from that class,” Taylor said. “Talking about some big-time ’23s that came in that they didn’t offer, so they’re trying to build a relationship. They’re also building a relationship with the ’24s they have coming up.”
Taylor is aware that Clemson doesn’t offer rising juniors until June 1. With that being said, an offer from the Tigers would mean so much more to him when considering his hometown and the players that have gone on to play at Clemson.
“It would mean a lot,” he said. “Seeing Diondre Overton — from Page — from my hometown, he went there. Now he’s playing in the XFL. Payton Page from Dudley, he’s playing there too. It would be really nice for our city and for me.”
Getting a better feel for Taylor and his game, he had about 600 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 10 games. He missed around four games this past season due to injury. While he wasn’t able to get a full season under his belt, Taylor’s trying to push more speed this year, breaking more tackles to show on his film.
“I’d definitely say I block very well,” Taylor said when asked to describe himself as a player, “if you want to run behind me and get some extra yards. I make 50/50 balls more 80/20 like a Mike Williams type of guy and my route running is definitely there.”
Rivals considers Taylor as the No. 33 receiver and the No. 204 overall prospect nationally in the class of 2024. He currently holds offers from schools like Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Duke, N.C. State, Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and West Virginia.
Taylor plans on checking out ECU sometime this month, as well as Wake Forest on March 29.
A Tar Heel State three-star wideout drawing interest from Clemson made his way to campus for Clemson’s second junior day of the year on Saturday, March 5. The Clemson Insider recently caught up with Maiden (N.C.) High School’s Chris Culliver, who …
A Tar Heel State three-star wideout drawing interest from Clemson made his way to campus for Clemson’s second junior day of the year on Saturday, March 5.
The Clemson Insider recently caught up with Maiden (N.C.) High School’s Chris Culliver, who recapped his first visit to Clemson’s campus in an exclusive interview.
“They were just telling me that they were glad that I made time to come see them, that I was going to enjoy everything and that he loved my film and stuff like that,” Culliver said. “He wanted me to come for another spring practice.”
Culliver indicated that he discussed a potential offer with wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham close to the end of the visit when everyone was leaving.
Right now, Clemson is focused on building a relationship with Culliver. They would also like for him to get back on campus before they potentially pull the trigger on an offer.
“It meant a lot for me to get back up there because I want to build a relationship with most of the coaches,” he said. “So, hopefully, I can get an offer from them.”
What would picking up an offer from Clemson ultimately mean to him?
“It would be good because I like everything about Clemson and the coaches,” Culliver said. “They keep it real. Coach Swinney’s not ever gonna lie to you. Everything he says has truth to it. It would be a big, big thing to get an offer from there.”
It means a lot to Culliver that Clemson wants to build a relationship with him before they offer him, so he’s just trying to take that in.
With that said, Culliver told us that he’s definitely looking to get back up to Clemson.
Culliver wasn’t the only North Carolina-based wide receiver on campus that weekend. The other, of course, is Hickory Ridge (Harrisburg, N.C.) four-star Christian Hamilton, who Culliver is particularly close with.
The two wideouts straight out of the 704 have developed a tight-knit bond with each other and even posed for some pictures with one another during the photoshoot aspect of the visit.
“It was good to see my guy,” Culliver said. “It’s crazy to think that I was there and got to talk to Coach Dabo (Swinney). It was a blessing to be there with (Christain) for sure.”
We reported in this week’s edition of the Insider Report that Hamilton spoke briefly with his receivers coach, Justin Hagler, and aside from the pictures and the hype video that Clemson made, he said they talked to him more about the school this time and the overall campus life.
We can also tell you that Hamilton is loving the attention and support that Clemson coaches like Tyler Grisham are giving him.
As is Culliver.
He’s also a huge fan of the way Grisham coaches.
“It looked like all the receivers were engaged,” Culliver said. “I saw No. 80 (Beaux Collins) catch a fade. I was just enjoying watching everyone run their routes. Coach Dabo’s son (Drew Swinney) was looking good out there too.”
Culliver indicated that the highlight of his campus visit was being able to listen to Swinney’s speech, which lasted over two hours, towards the end. He was completely captivated and so was every recruit around him.
“It was just how he got up there in front of us all and was telling us his whole story, Culliver said, “like his whole background and he was just stating the facts about Clemson. He just said something that stuck with me a little bit and I was just thinking about it the whole ride home. I wrote it down in my notebook.”
Clemson’s staff is closely watching this standout local wide receiver who was back on campus last weekend. Greenville (S.C.) High School’s Mazeo Bennett – a 6-foot, 180-pound sophomore in the class of 2024 – returned to Tiger Town for an unofficial …
Clemson’s staff is closely watching this standout local wide receiver who was back on campus last weekend.
Greenville (S.C.) High School’s Mazeo Bennett – a 6-foot, 180-pound sophomore in the class of 2024 – returned to Tiger Town for an unofficial visit last Saturday.
“Overall me and the fam had a great time viewing in depth what Clemson has to offer that’s different than other colleges,” Bennett said of the visit in an interview with The Clemson Insider.
Bennett, who was also on campus as an unofficial visitor for the Florida State game last October, said with a laugh that the “amazing food” is one thing that stands out to him about Clemson.
Greenville (S.C.) High School 2024 WR Mazeo Bennett during pregame Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021 at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium. Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider
More seriously, though, a few things most strongly appeal to him about Clemson based on his visits to the school and the time he’s spent around the program.
“They have great people in the program,” he said. “Great fans and they have a very homey feeling.”
The highlight of Bennett’s experience at Clemson last Saturday, he said, was speaking with Dabo Swinney.
Clemson’s head coach let the talented wideout know that the Tigers are keeping close tabs on him.
“We talked about their interest in me,” Bennett said of his conversation with Swinney. “And how many eyes they have on me.”
Swinney left a big impression on Bennett.
“After meeting with Dabo, he’s a really down-to-earth guy,” Bennett said. “Close with God. And faithful to everything he does/touches.”
“Coach Grisham always tells me to trust the process,” Bennett said. “And to take my time and investigate every college I’m at including them.”
Overall, Bennett feels his “relationship definitely grew with Clemson” during last weekend’s visit, and he’s hoping to receive an offer from the Tigers after they turn the page to offering 2024 recruits this summer and beyond.
“It has always meant a lot to me that Clemson has been recruiting me,” he said. “So an offer from them would mean a lot.”
Penn State gave Bennett his latest offer last week, joining South Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Coastal Carolina, App State and Liberty on his early offer list.
Bennett has also visited South Carolina this year. Up next for him is a trip to Georgia this weekend.
— Mazeo “MJ” Bennett 🥷🏾 (@TheMazeoBennett) March 12, 2022
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A four-star wide receiver and top-100 national prospect from the Peach State returned to Tiger Town last weekend for his first visit to Clemson since participating in the Dabo Swinney Camp last summer. Milton (Ga.) High School’s Debron Gatling – a …
A four-star wide receiver and top-100 national prospect from the Peach State returned to Tiger Town last weekend for his first visit to Clemson since participating in the Dabo Swinney Camp last summer.
Milton (Ga.) High School’s Debron Gatling – a 6-foot-2, 185-pound sophomore in the class of 2024 – was back on campus Saturday, March 12.
“It was really good,” Gatling said of the visit in an interview with The Clemson Insider. “I really liked the facilities and I like what they’re doing to their recovery room. I like what they’re doing new to there, they’re making it bigger and stuff. And I like how it’s just like a family there at Clemson.”
Gatling’s mother came with him on the trip to Clemson and came away impressed after their experience and interactions with Clemson’s staff, particularly Swinney and wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham.
“My mom loved it,” Gatling said. “She said she really liked it, and she really liked Coach Swinney and Coach Grisham.”
Gatling is ranked by Rivals as the No. 10 wide receiver and No. 90 overall prospect in the 2024 class regardless of position. His list of more than two dozen offers includes, to name some, schools such as Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Auburn, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas, Miami, Florida State, Michigan, Penn State and Oregon.
Clemson typically doesn’t start offering recruits in any given class until the summer before their junior year, and the coaches reiterated that to Gatling during Saturday’s visit, but made it clear they are interested in him and that he is welcome on campus whenever he wants to go there.
Milton (Ga.) High School 2024 4-star WR Debron Gatling works out during Dabo Swinney’s football camp Sunday, June 6, 2021. Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider
“That they don’t offer 2024s yet, they wait until June 1 and stuff like that,” Gatling said of what he heard from Swinney and Grisham. “Coach Grisham said he loved my film, and he told me that he loved the way I had camped with him, and he told me that I can come back at any time.”
Added Gatling of what it meant to hear that from the coaches: “It felt good to me, because a lot of people don’t get that opportunity to come back at any time. They told me I could come back at any time, I can even come sit in some meetings and stuff like that. So, it really means a lot, that I know that they’re really recruiting me hard.”
Last Saturday wasn’t the first time Gatling and Swinney met, but Clemson’s head coach continued to make a great impression on the promising prospect when they spoke again Saturday.
“I think he’s a great guy,” Gatling said. “He’s a family-oriented guy, family first always to him, and education before football. So, that really means something to me, that I know that he cares about all of our education, makes sure that we get our degrees and stuff like that before we go to the NFL. I just feel like he’s a genuine guy, and I feel like he can get you to the league. … I feel like he’s just a good coach overall.”
Meanwhile, Gatling feels the relationship he has been building with Grisham “definitely” grew stronger thanks to the time they were able to spend together during the visit last weekend.
“We actually got a chance to play a game of ping-pong together. He’s kind of good at it, so he beat me,” Gatling said, laughing. “And then when they were introducing themselves, I stayed up there with him, talking to him until it was his turn to go up there and talk. So I feel like, yeah, our bond definitely grew more since I was there.”
Along with Clemson, Gatling has made visits to Alabama and Southern Cal so far this offseason. He is scheduled to visit Georgia this Saturday and is looking to get back to Bama in late March, while he is slated to visit Ole Miss on April 2. LSU wants him to visit as well, and he intends to get out to Miami this spring also.
In addition to the aforementioned schools he has visited or plans to, Gatling named Michigan, Oregon, Texas A&M and Texas as some of the others recruiting him the hardest at this stage of his recruiting process.
Clemson would certainly be a strong contender for Gatling if he gets an offer from the Tigers moving forward.
“I feel like they’d definitely be a top school always in my head,” he said. “So, I feel like they’ve got a really good chance.”
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The Clemson Insider caught up with a talented Tar Heel State receiver who made his first ever visit to Tiger Town this past weekend. Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.) four-star Jordan Shipp – a 6-foot-2, 185 – pound sophomore in the class of 2024 – …
The Clemson Insider caught up with a talented Tar Heel State receiver who made his first ever visit to Tiger Town this past weekend.
Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.) four-star Jordan Shipp — a 6-foot-2, 185 — pound sophomore in the class of 2024 – was on campus at Clemson for an unofficial visit Saturday, March 12.
“It was good,” Shipp said. “I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it a lot. I would say what stood out the most was how they don’t offer the ’24s. That’s what stood out the most. That’s probably one of the only schools I’ve heard of that don’t, but their reasoning is really good. That stood out a lot.”
Obviously, Shipp would love to have an offer from Clemson, but he’s appreciative that the Tigers want to build a relationship with him and that level of honesty goes a long way.
According to Shipp, once Tyler Grisham can finally start reaching out to him come Sept. 1, Clemson’s wide receivers coach really wants to build a relationship and make sure Shipp gets back for camp and another visit. He also wants Shipp to come for a game-day visit.
What does that mean to Shipp?
“It meant a lot because knowing that that’s one of the most powerful schools in the country,” Shipp said, “and being able to talk to the head coach of it all for so long and being able to talk with the position coach and him kind of know who I am, that just meant a lot. That was real special.”
Shipp revealed that his favorite part of the visit was getting to talk with Grisham.
“Being able to watch them practice and him being active in the practice,” Shipp said. “He was talking about how he likes to build relationships with his guys and how he still talks to his guys after they graduate, how he still talks to Tee Higgins and all those guys after they graduate.
“It also stood out was how Coach Dabo tries to make sure you get your diploma. That meant a lot too. That meant that it’s way more than football at Clemson.”
While it’s way more than just football at Clemson, the level of talent that has come out of Tiger Town is definitely eye-opening to Shipp.
“When I see Tee Higgins, I see myself in what Tee Higgins does,” Shipp said. “How he’s able to make spectacular catches, of course, he’s not like the fastest, but he’s quick enough to do what he does. His route running is so smooth. I see a lot of myself in that and more so seeing what he was able to do in that system really opened up knowing that I can go and do that same thing.”
Shipp wasn’t the only Providence Day product on campus. He was accompanied by a litany of his teammates, who are all being recruited by Clemson.
“We’re all trying to make sure we get back up there, like as soon as possible,” Shipp said. “We’ll probably all go to camp together and we’ll probably try and go to a game day visit together, so we all can just stay together and enjoy the big moments.”
Shipp was on campus with his quarterback, Jadyn Davis, who recently transferred from Catawba Ridge (Fort Mill, S.C.) to Providence Day.
Clemson previously played host to Davis for the Wake Forest game last November. He also participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp last June.
As for Davis, he is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1 overall prospect in the country for the 2024 class, regardless of position.
“I can’t wait,” Shipp said of playing with Davis. “Now that that’s my quarterback and being able to see him work and everything, I love it. He’s just that guy. He just makes sure everything is going smooth and he’s definitely going to be one of the leaders on the team for sure.”
Shipp is happy that he can focus on playing the wide receiver position and is excited to see what his junior season will hold for he and his teammates.
– Photo for this article courtesy of @1k.shippp on Instagram
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Pine Forest (Pensacola, Fla.) 2023 three-star wide receiver Donielle Hayes has been in contact with Clemson wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham and will be visiting Clemson on Monday, March 14. The Clemson Insider caught up with the talented Sunshine …
Pine Forest (Pensacola, Fla.) 2023 three-star wide receiver Donielle Hayes has been in contact with Clemson wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham and will be visiting Clemson on Monday, March 14.
The Clemson Insider caught up with the talented Sunshine State wideout, prior to his first-ever visit to campus on Monday.
“The Clemson visit coming up should be good,” Hayes said last week. “I’m happy to get up there and ready to get the visit started. I’m just hoping to be in a good environment, just like a welcoming environment.”
Grisham got in contact with Hayes at the end of January and they’ve kept in constant contact since then.
“He’s real cool, I love him,” he said of Grisham. “I’m ready to get to him. We’ve been building a bond over the past month and it’s been really good.”
According to Hayes, Grisham likes the way that he’s competitive, how he comes out and gets out of his breaks. He also likes how Hayes is a playmaker, who can make things happen with the ball in his hands.
What does that mean to Hayes to hear that from Grisham?
“It meant everything,” he said. “I had a big smile on my face when he hit me up. I was just so excited, especially coming from him and just knowing everything and all the good talent coming out of Clemson like eventually one day that could be me.”
For Hayes, it’s eye-opening to hear from a school like Clemson, especially when considering the program’s history at the wide receiver position.
“I’m really just ready to get up there and I’m ready to be there,” Hayes added. “I’m ready to be around the staff and everybody there. I’m ready to have a good time and enjoy this. This is gonna be my first visit ever and for my first visit, I really hope everything goes good.”
As far as his recruitment is concerned, Hayes feels like it’s only a matter of time before it starts to take off. He’s starting to get a lot of attention from Power Five programs and in the past couple of months, he’s earned offers from Arkansas State, UAB, UMass, Southern Miss and FAU.
“The offers I’m picking up now, I think that’s mostly coming off my film,” Hayes said, “but after my camp circuit, I think my recruitment is gonna pick up.”
When you turn on his junior year film, you’ll see Hayes trying to make something happen whenever he could. He finished his junior campaign with 30 catches and 722 receiving yards.
“When I got the ball in my hands, it’s a good percent chance that it’s always gonna be something positive with it,” Hayes said. “It’s like I’m never gonna disappoint you on what you came to see. If you came to see me do this or do that, you’re most likely gonna get a run for your money.”
A versatile athlete drawing interest from Clemson made his return trip to campus last weekend. F.W. Bucholz (Gainesville, Fla.) three-star Creed Whittemore attended the Tigers’ second junior day of the year – their “spring elite day” – last Saturday …
A versatile athlete drawing interest from Clemson made his return trip to campus last weekend.
F.W. Bucholz (Gainesville, Fla.) three-star Creed Whittemore attended the Tigers’ second junior day of the year – their “spring elite day” – last Saturday and came away from the visit very impressed.
“It was awesome,” Whittemore told The Clemson Insider. “I think everybody would tell you that they had a great time. There wasn’t a lot of us, which I think everybody liked. Going to someplace and then having like 100 kids is never a good sign. Everybody enjoyed it. I had a great time. We were there all day, but it only felt like a couple of hours.”
Whittemore thoroughly enjoyed his first visit to campus back in January and told TCI as such. This weekend took it up a notch. Whittemore was able to experience a bit more, take in spring practice and spend some time with Clemson wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham.
“Like I said, I really enjoyed it,” he said. “I thought there were some good things to take away. I enjoyed watching Coach Grisham coach. He’s a lot like some of the guys I’ve been coached by. The atmosphere, you can’t get enough of it. I think I’m speaking for everybody that went, it felt like a real family atmosphere and a place that can be home for a lot of us.”
While he was able to spend some time with Grisham on his previous visit to campus, Saturday offered the opportunity to watch him in a coaching setting.
“That’s kind of what I thought he’d be like, just from his personality,” Whittmore said of Grisham. “Like I said, my dad kind of coaches like that, high energy. He’s gonna tell you what you did wrong and is not gonna let anything fly, but he’s also very uplifting and side bumps his receivers after a good catch. Stuff like that, which as a player you like, because you know you’re getting coached at the highest level, but you’re also having a good time doing it.”
Grisham has oftentimes compared Whittemore to Clemson sophomore wide receiver Will Taylor, who also played quarterback in high school. Taylor played in five games last season before suffering a season-ending ACL injury in late October.
The two-sport athlete is still in the process of rehabbing from his injury, so Whittemore was unable to see that comparison in person, but he was able to watch Brannon Spector man the slot.
“I think I relate a lot to him and also Will (Taylor) and Troy (Stellato),” Whittemore said, “and I think they use those guys really well, which is encouraging for me.”
Before Clemson offers Whittemore, they want to see him run routes in person.
As we’ve previously reported, Grisham will head down to the Sunshine State sometime later this spring to do so. Clemson is not the only school that has yet to offer Whittemore because they want to see him run routes in person.
“As a quarterback, you can’t really complain,” he said. “Obviously, if I was a coach, I probably wouldn’t offer a kid that I’d never seen run before. I don’t take it personally at all. He’ll come down this spring and watch me run routes. I think we’ve grown our relationship like I do have an offer right now, just because when he does offer me, he already wants to have the ball rolling.”
Whittemore is appreciative of the level of honesty that he’s received from Grisham and the Tigers. He believes that Clemson is being very upfront and that they mean what they say.
“I feel like they really like me,” he said, “and I could see that when I went up there this weekend. I was thinking that I was going to Junior Day, but in reality, there were only three receivers there and I think that speaks for itself.
Whittemore knew that being on campus this past weekend was a sign that he was part of an elite group of prospects. The other two wideouts on campus were Hickory Ridge (Harrisburg, N.C.) four-star Christian Hamilton and Maiden (N.C.) High School three-star Chris Culliver.
Whittemore indicated that he could see himself playing with those guys in the future.
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