Tyler Grisham – Page 12 – Syndication Server

5-star, Nation’s No. 1 athlete will be at Clemson this weekend

Clemson is set to play host to one of the nation’s best prospects in the class of 2024 this weekend. The Clemson Insider recently caught up with Buford (Ga.) High School five-star athlete K.J. Bolden, who will be on campus this Saturday, March 12, …

Clemson is set to play host to one of the nation’s best prospects in the class of 2024 this weekend.

The Clemson Insider recently caught up with Buford (Ga.) High School five-star athlete K.J. Bolden, who will be on campus this Saturday, March 12, and he confirmed that via Twitter on Wednesday afternoon.

Bolden (6-0, 180) currently ranks as the nation’s No. 1 athlete and No. 9 overall prospect in the 2024 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.

“Last time I spoke with Coach (Tyler) Grisham, the receivers coach,” Bolden told TCI this past week. “He was just telling me about the culture and how Clemson doesn’t just offer anyone and how we have to wait until June 1 of our junior year for when they offer juniors.”

How does Bolden feel about that?

“At first, I was frustrated, because Clemson has always been my favorite school that I wanted an offer from,” he said. “But when I hit my sophomore year, it made me realize that they just want to get to know you and I like coaches like that, who want to get to know you before they bring you onto your team. That’s really big to me.”

While Grisham has recently been in contact with Bolden, the Tigers have left it up to Bolden to determine what position he’ll play at the next level. He’s not leaning way or another, rather he’d like to see how the next two years of his high school career go.

What is Bolden hoping to get out of his visit?

“I just want to go down there and know those coaches more, build a better relationship than we already have,” he said.

In addition to Clemson, Bolden is planning to visit Ohio State, Ole Miss, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan State and Penn State.

He indicated that these upcoming visits are going to be very important for him. By the time his junior year rolls around, Bolden wants to narrow down his recruitment to 8-10 schools.

This weekend will certainly be a determining factor in whether Clemson is one of those schools going forward.

“I feel like the program’s performance is great still,” Bolden said. “Coach Dabo (Swinney) knows what he’s doing. He’s got a couple of good guys coming on this year. Hopefully, they have a good season this year.”

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Elite Florida WR on Grisham’s radar feels Clemson could be ‘a great fit’

Clemson is showing substantial interest in an elite wide receiver from the Sunshine State who has seen his recruitment continue to take off this year. Since the calendar turned to 2022, Tampa (Fla.) Carrollwood Day four-star Bredell Richardson – the …

Clemson is showing substantial interest in an elite wide receiver from the Sunshine State who has seen his recruitment continue to take off this year.

Since the calendar turned to 2022, Tampa (Fla.) Carrollwood Day four-star Bredell Richardson – the No. 6 receiver and No. 32 overall prospect in the 2024 class, per Rivals – has added schools such as Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas and Cincinnati to his offer list that already included Penn State, Georgia, Auburn, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Pittsburgh, NC State and many others.

“It’s been good and interesting,” Richardson said of the recruiting process in a recent interview with The Clemson Insider. “Lots of schools have offered and like me a lot, which is a blessing, but it’s been good. Still taking it slow, though, not in any rush.”

Clemson, of course, takes the recruiting process slowly as well and has yet to offer any 2024 prospects, much less any receivers – a position the Tigers are always selective in recruiting and offering.

Tampa (Fla.) Carrollwood Day 2024 four-star WR Bredell Richardson (photo from @bredell_R on Twitter)

But there’s no doubt that Richardson is firmly on the radar of Clemson and receivers coach Tyler Grisham, who has been staying in touch with the 6-foot-1, 185-pound sophomore.

“He really likes me,” Richardson said. “He wants me to come up there so we can work out and so he can coach me. He loves the person I am and how I’m myself and how I would easily fit in the program and all the benefits of Clemson!”

Grisham invited Richardson to visit Clemson this Saturday, March 12. While Richardson didn’t rule out the possibility of traveling to Tiger Town, he didn’t expect to be able to make the trip due to a 7-on-7 competition.

Richardson said he has “built a good connection” with Grisham, and the interest from Grisham on behalf of the Tigers means a lot to Richardson.

“It’s big and it’s a blessing to get a lot of love from such a prestigious program (with) the winning culture and history,” he said.

Along with Clemson, Richardson named Alabama and schools like Texas, Texas A&M, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida State and Notre Dame as some of the ones he is feeling the most love from at this point in his recruitment.

“It’s really a lot of schools from all over,” he said. “I’m building a lot of relationships and talking to a lot of coaches!”

Richardson is really hoping to receive an offer from Dabo Swinney’s program moving forward and feels if he had the chance to play at Clemson, he would fit right in with the Tigers.

“It would mean a lot to get an offer from such a prestigious program like Clemson,” he said. “I like a lot about the school. It’s a school of champions. I like what Coach G has to offer and what Coach Dabo has to offer. I just would love the offer, and it could overall be a great fit for me.”

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Clemson building bond with 4-star Texas WR, Klubnik’s former teammate

Clemson continues to build a relationship with freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik’s now-former high school teammate and close personal friend, Jaden Greathouse. Greathouse – a 6-1, 210-pound junior – is a consensus four-star, who ranks as the No. 12 …

Clemson continues to build a relationship with freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik’s now-former high school teammate and close personal friend, Jaden Greathouse.

Greathouse — a 6-1, 210-pound junior — is a consensus four-star, who ranks as the No. 12 wide receiver and No. 77 player in the nation for the class of 2023, per Rivals.

The Clemson Insider spoke at length with the big-time wide receiver prospect out of Westlake (Texas), who talks with Clemson wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham on a daily basis and is looking to make a trip to campus soon.

“They’re just trying to get me up for a visit as soon as possible,” Greathouse told TCI. “I’m gonna try to get up there soon and keep building that relationship.”

Greathouse still needs to work out the details of a visit to The Valley with Grisham, but his relationship with Clemson’s receivers coach and recruiting coordinator has developed immensely over the past couple of months.

“It’s developed a lot,” he said. “We’re talking almost every day and he’s a great guy. I love him and it’s awesome getting a chance to talk to him and be recruited by him.”

When Greathouse does eventually make the trip to Clemson, he’s hopeful he’ll have a chance to see the Tigers participate in spring practice(s). He wants to see the intensity of their workouts, how they work, how hard they work and see how it’s all organized.

He’ll likely also have the chance to see Klubnik in action. Their connection goes beyond the football field and they are in contact pretty frequently. With that said, what has Greathouse been hearing from the Tigers’ freshman signal-caller?

“He just said that he loves the family atmosphere and the Christianity of it all,” Greathouse said of Klubnik. “It’s a great place to be. He said he loves every part of it, so I’m just excited to see what he’s talking about.”

In addition to a potential Clemson visit, Greathouse plans on visiting Notre Dame’s spring game in April. Last month, he took visits to Oklahoma, TCU and Texas. He’s just trying to get a feel for some of these programs right now.

As far as his recruitment is concerned, things have been going at a constant pace, which has allowed him to build new relationships, like his one with Grisham. He’s keeping his options open at the moment.

Greathouse is going to take as many visits as he can, which will give him some further perspective on his recruitment and allow him to see where he’s at in the process.

This offseason, Greathouse has assumed a leadership role. He’s focused on developing Westlake’s younger guys and helping get them prepared for the upcoming season ahead. Of course, last season, he helped lead Westlake to a 16-0 record and Class 6A State Title. In doing so, he recorded 66 receptions with 1,274 yards and 20 touchdowns.

In addition to manning the point guard spot for Westlake’s basketball team, Greathouse is also participating in offseason workouts. Ahead of his senior campaign, Greathouse is focused on working on his route running, trying to create separation to make contested catches and plays going forward.

–Photo for this article courtesy of @JadenGreathouse9 on Instagram

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Top Texas recruit ‘can’t wait’ to visit Clemson, meet Swinney

This Texas four-star has been in contact with Clemson wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham, who is trying to get the elite Lone Star State athlete to visit for the Tigers’ Junior Day on March 5. Temple (TX.) High School’s Mikal Harrison-Pilot …

This Texas four-star has been in contact with Clemson wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham, who is trying to get the elite Lone Star State athlete to visit for the Tigers’ Junior Day on March 5.

Temple (TX.) High School’s Mikal Harrison-Pilot indicated to The Clemson Insider that while he would like to get on campus, he’s not sure just when that’ll happen.

“He said I’m good enough for the offer, but they rarely offer kids,” Harrison-Pilot told TCI. “He’s just trying to build a relationship with me and we’ll move on from there. I kind of like it. I like to build relationships first. I’m a big relationship guy. I like to build relationships before I go anywhere. That’s good that he said that, so we’re both on the same page and everything.”

Harrison-Pilot — a 6-1, 190-pound junior — is a two-way player, but Clemson is looking at the Temple product as a wideout. He feels like he’s good enough at both safety and wide receiver to play either position at the next level, but he’s willing to play wherever he’s needed.

Across his junior campaign, Harrison-Pilot recorded 905 all-purpose yards and 17 total touchdowns with an interception and 20 tackles. The utility player was also named 12-6A 1st All-District WR.

Additionally, Harrison-Pilot is a three-sport athlete, who plays both baseball and track, in addition to football. Needless to say, college coaches are impressed with his athletic background.

Harrison-Pilot described himself as a physical receiver with soft hands, who can be physical and fast off the ball. He also feels like he has a little bit of DeAndre Hopkins to his game. He tries to emulate and mirror both the former Clemson standout and Green Bay Packers superstar Davante Adams.

“It means a lot to me,” he said of hearing from a school like Clemson. “You look at D-Hop and he’s one of the greatest wide receivers to come out. I see what they do as a program. I see how they get their guys ready for the NFL. I just like how they prepare their guys for life, not just about football, but about life in general. I like Dabo Swinney a lot already. I just wanna see and I can’t wait to go up there and meet him in person.”

As far as his recruitment is concerned, Harrison-Pilot is just taking it a step at a time. He’s interested to see where this process will ultimately lead him to. After he takes his visits in the coming months, he’ll reconvene with his family and go from there.

What would it mean to Harrison-Pilot if Clemson eventually pulls the trigger on an offer?

“It would mean a lot to me, actually,” he said. “Hopefully, I get it. I just want to go up there and see them first.”

–Photo for this article courtesy of @MikalPilot on Twitter

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Florida wideout set to return for Clemson’s Junior Day

After catching up with F.W. Bucholz (Gainesville, Fla.) three-star Creed Whittemore following his first unofficial visit to campus last month, The Clemson Insider first reported that the talented slot receiver, who also plays quarterback, would be …

Whittemore — a 5-11.5, 175-pound junior — announced Wednesday that he will officially be back on Clemson’s campus come March 5.

“I’m gonna go back on March 5,” he told TCI. “I’ve been talking to Coach (Tyler) Grisham about every week, just normal recruiting stuff and normal conversations. It’s gonna be a great opportunity to get back up there.

“Obviously, we’ve already talked about kind of the offer process because since I play quarterback, a lot of schools would like me to run routes in person, which I’m truly OK with. So, he’s gonna come to a spring practice in May and watch me run around. I think March 5 is a great opportunity to get to know maybe some of the other coaches that I haven’t met yet. It’ll be fun.”

While Whittemore has already been to Clemson, his second visit will be a bit different, considering he’ll be there for a spring practice. With that being said, what is he looking to get out of his upcoming campus visit?

“I think it’s always a cool opportunity to see a practice and not everybody is able to see their team practice before they’re able to make a decision,” Whittemore said. “Being able to see the coaches interact with players is gonna be a great insight into what the community around the football team is really like. I think it gives you a good inside view of what you’re getting into if you go to a place.”

Whittemore envisions that he’ll probably spend most of his time with the other wide receivers when he’s on campus, so it’ll give him a good taste of how Grisham, Clemson’s wide receivers coach, coaches and what he really keys on. For Whittemore, he figures it’ll be interesting to see Grisham’s philosophies, how to come out of breaks and things of that nature.

How would Whittemore currently categorize his relationship with Grisham?

“I think being able to talk to a coach is always important before you make decisions,” he said of his relationship with Grisham. “I think that’s where Coach Grisham wanted to get, where we’ve grown our relationship, talking back and forth. I think that’s special when you have a relationship like that with a coach, before you even get there. I think he does a great job of that.”

As far as his recruitment is concerned, Whittemore has recently picked up offers as a wide receiver from Mississippi State and Maryland, while schools like Georgia State and Florida Atlantic have offered him as a quarterback.

“It’s always an encouragement to get offers and a blessing,” he said. “But, I think right now, I haven’t made any decisions. I’ll probably try to have some sort of a top-5 or top-3, either coming out of spring football or maybe going in. So, we’ll see. It’s an exciting time and not everyone gets to have this their junior year of high school.

While Whittemore is as humble as they come, he believes that seeing these offers roll in is a testament to the hard work he’s been putting in.

“Say Clemson offered or somebody else, they would definitely be high up on my list, in terms of where I want to go,” Whitemore added. “But the opportunities I have right now are awesome too.”

In addition to visiting Clemson next month, Whittemore estimates that over his spring break, he’ll go to Oklahoma and try to do a little triangle with Mississippi State and Texas A&M. He also runs track in the spring, which also takes up a lot of his time, so he’s not trying to put too much on his plate.

He does know that a lot of colleges will come out to Bucholz’s spring practices when it comes down to watching him run routes.

All in all, he’s excited to get back to Clemson.

“Definitely,” he said. “I really enjoyed it. I think I could definitely see myself there and if I got an offer there, they would probably, automatically most likely go in my top-3 as of right now, or at least top-5. I’m really looking forward to continuing building a relationship and come spring practice, hopefully, I’ll get that offer and that’ll be pretty cool.”

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Upcoming Clemson visit a ‘no-brainer’ for Carolinas WR

The Clemson Insider has learned that a Tar Heel State wide receiver will be among the visitors on campus for Clemson’s Junior Day on Saturday, March 5. Maiden (N.C.) High School three-star Chris Culliver spoke at length with TCI Thursday regarding …

The Clemson Insider has learned that a Tar Heel State wide receiver will be among the visitors on campus for Clemson’s Junior Day on Saturday, March 5.

Maiden (N.C.) High School three-star Chris Culliver spoke at length with TCI Thursday regarding his ongoing relationship with Clemson wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham and his thoughts ahead of next month’s visit.

“I’m very excited,” he said. “As soon as he asked me to come, it was a no-brainer. I said yes right off the bat.”

“I’ve been talking to Coach Grisham a lot,” Culliver added. “He’s just been trying to get me to come down there. I’ve been ready to get down since the beginning of football season. They’ve been saying that they like my tape a lot.”

According to Culliver —a 6-3, 180-pound junior — Grisham likes that he can go up and get the ball anytime. Culliver also has some speed to his game as well, so Grisham likes that he’s fast and real long too.

Grisham stopped by Maiden High School to see Culliver in late January, towards the end of the live period.

“It meant a lot to see one of them teams come by because I went to Clemson a long time ago with my brother,” he said. “It’s been a close school that I’ve been wanting to get for a long time. So, that means a lot for (Grisham) to come down and see me and talk to me a little bit.”

Culliver describes his relationship with Clemson’s wide receivers coach as a “good one,” but he’s looking to grow close with him and is hopeful that next month’s visit will push it in that direction.

What else is the talented wideout hoping to get out of next month’s visit?

“I just want to get a feel for the coaches and look on campus and get a feel around,” Culliver said.

He’s also been communicating with Grisham about an offer, which could very well come when he makes his return visit to The Valley.

“I’m hoping to get one when I get down there,” he said regarding a potential offer. “He wants to see me in person and get a feel for me around the coaches and stuff.”

Even without an offer, Culliver still holds Clemson in high regard and the Tigers are certainly up there, as far as his recruitment is concerned. He’s not currently in a rush to make a decision, as there are still a couple of visits that he wants to make, but Culliver indicated that he wants to have his recruitment wrapped up, prior to his senior season.

In addition to Clemson, Culliver will be visiting North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Michigan State and the University of Florida, come March.

Culliver had previously camped at Clemson, along with his older brother, who ran track at Lenoir Rhyne University. He took a picture with the uniform on and everything. That was the first camp he ever attended.

A combination of him camping at Clemson and Grisham getting ahold of his junior year film has put Culliver on the Tigers’ radar.

His junior season was one to remember. Culliver recorded 62 catches with 1,310 and 26 total touchdowns. He ultimately described himself as an “electric playmaker,” which certainly shows when you turn on the tape.

One wideout that Culliver looks up to and tries to emulate his game after is a former Clemson standout — Tee Higgins, who just recorded two touchdown receptions in last Sunday’s Super Bowl with the Cincinnati Bengals.

“Before every high school game, I would watch Tee Higgins’ (Clemson) highlights,” he said. “That just got me hyped up.”

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Big-time WR building bond with Grisham, ‘really excited’ for upcoming Clemson visit

This big-time prospect from the Peach State is garnering substantial interest from Clemson wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham and scheduled to be on campus next month. Milton (Ga.) High School four-star receiver Debron Gatling plans to visit Clemson …

This big-time prospect from the Peach State is garnering substantial interest from Clemson wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham and scheduled to be on campus next month.

Milton (Ga.) High School four-star receiver Debron Gatling plans to visit Clemson on March 12 and take in one of the Tigers’ spring practices.

“I’m really excited,” Gatling told The Clemson Insider. “I’m most looking forward to how they practice, because Coach Grisham told me I’ll get to check out how they practice, and the facilities and meeting other coaches there.”

Gatling – a 6-foot-2, 185-pound sophomore – told TCI he has talked with Grisham twice in the last week or so.

“He’s been saying how they offer, the offer process they go (through) at Clemson, how it’s late and they don’t go (out) till like junior year,” Gatling said of what he heard during his conversations with Grisham. “He was telling me that he had wanted me to come out to the visit on the 12th, but he was only inviting a couple of ‘24s that day out there that’s on his board. So, that really caught my eye. Like, that makes it seem like I’m a top target for them. So, that’s why I decided to go there and visit.”

The interest Grisham has conveyed is a big deal for Gatling.

“It means a lot because I grew up liking Clemson,” he said. “I grew up watching Clemson, and I know that they produce some good receivers. So, that means a lot to me that I’m high on his list.”

Gatling is building a solid bond with Grisham and has plenty of respect for him. He is fond of Grisham, both as a person and coach, and appreciates how Grisham coached him up when he participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp last summer, showing he cared about helping Gatling improve his game.

“I think our relationship is pretty good right now,” Gatling said. “I know he’s a really good coach when I worked with him at the camp last year, my freshman year, and he was critiquing me. What a good coach needs to do, he was letting me know stuff I could do that would make me get out of my breaks faster, and other releases and stuff that I really like. And then I see that it actually works in games because I see his receivers doing it. So, I know he’s a good coach, and his personality is great. Every time we talk, he’s a cool guy to talk to, and our bond is pretty good when we get on the phone.”

That camp visit to Clemson last June is the lone trip to Tiger Town that Gatling has made to this point. Thus far this offseason, Alabama is the only school he’s been to, though he is slated to visit Southern Cal on March 5 and also plans to check out schools such as Oregon, Texas A&M and Texas.

Clemson is among the schools making Gatling feel like a priority early in his recruiting process.

“Right now, you could say that Clemson’s standing out a little bit,” he said. “You could say Clemson, Oregon, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Michigan. These are just the schools that show me that I’m a top target for them. Tennessee, too.”

All those schools have offered Gatling (besides Clemson), and he also holds offers from schools like Georgia, Texas, Miami, Florida State, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Kentucky and Arkansas.

As a sophomore last season, Gatling grabbed 36 receptions for 705 yards and 11 touchdowns.

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Talented in-state athlete excited for ‘big opportunity’ at Clemson

When he put pen to paper with Clemson earlier this month, it marked the fulfillment of what Michael Mankaka has called a “lifelong dream” of being a part of the Tigers’ football program. The talented in-state athlete from Laurens (S.C.) High School …

When he put pen to paper with Clemson earlier this month, it marked the fulfillment of what Michael Mankaka has called a “lifelong dream” of being a part of the Tigers’ football program.

The talented in-state athlete from Laurens (S.C.) High School signed with Clemson as a preferred walk-on during National Signing Day on Wednesday, Feb. 2.

“I’m very excited. I feel like there’s lots of opportunity there,” Mankaka said to The Clemson Insider. “They’re one of those schools where it doesn’t matter how you come in. If you work hard and you get your opportunity and you take advantage of your shot, you can make a lot out of it. So, I’m very excited. I feel like there’s good opportunity there. It’s just going to be hard work and keeping my head down and pursuing my goal and maintaining my vision.”

Mankaka – a wide receiver/defensive back who moved to South Carolina and played at Laurens as a senior after transferring from Mayo (Minn.) High School – committed to Clemson last July shortly after receiving a PWO offer from Tigers receivers coach Tyler Grisham.

The caliber of receivers that have come through “Wide Receiver U” in the past is what appealed most to Mankaka about Clemson and one of the big reasons why he wanted to be a Tiger himself.

“What drew me to Clemson the most, I’d have to say, was watching them at a young age – watching Sammy Watkins torch guys and watching DeAndre Hopkins, the best receiver in the NFL, and Tee Higgins and then now Justyn Ross,” Mankaka said. “It’s like wow, the receivers over there have great success, and on top of that, the coaching over there is amazing. They’ve got a great atmosphere, they’ve got great coaches, and I was just like hey, if the opportunity ever gets there, definitely don’t turn that down and think twice before doing so.”

Laurens (S.C.) High School’s Michael Mankaka on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021 at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium. Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider

Mankaka (6-2, 180) started at both receiver and cornerback for Laurens this past season. Though he missed a handful of games due to COVID-19 and injury, he still had a strong campaign and earned all-county and all-state honors.

Mankaka expects to be a receiver at Clemson but didn’t rule out the possibility of playing on defense if the Tigers need him to, citing former Tiger Derion Kendrick as an example.

Kendrick came to Clemson as a receiver in 2018 before moving to cornerback on an emergency basis in the spring of 2019 and ultimately sticking at corner.

“I anticipate as of now to stay as a receiver there,” Mankaka said. “Obviously crazy things can happen where the team will need a substitution or something, just some depth at a position. Like DK, he was an athlete coming out of high school. So, that’s the type of situation I’m anticipating, receiver. But my athletic background and my background playing multiple positions definitely comes into play when team needs take over your own personal desires.”

Mankaka caught the eye of Grisham last summer when he worked out with him at the Dabo Swinney Camp.

“He said, going back to camp, he obviously likes me as a receiver,” Mankaka recalled. “He feels like I have a lot of potential. Still very raw, but very athletic. And he says he definitely likes how coachable I was and how much I paid attention to detail and maintained the little things and then grew as well at camp. So, definitely being coachable, and he likes me as a receiver – athleticism and all that stuff.”

What has Mankaka heard from Grisham and the coaching staff as he gets ready to enroll at Clemson this summer and join the Tigers as a preferred walk-on?

“They made it very clear that the main thing is it’s an opportunity and how hard I’m willing to work,” he said. “It’s a big opportunity, and I’m ready to work for it.”

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Why Swinney made Grisham Clemson’s newest recruiting coordinator

When Todd Bates decided to leave Clemson to join Brent Venables’ staff at Oklahoma, the Tigers didn’t just lose one of its top assistant coaches. Bates was also one of Dabo Swinney’s top recruiters to the point that Swinney gave Bates the title of …

When Todd Bates decided to leave Clemson to join Brent Venables’ staff at Oklahoma, the Tigers didn’t just lose one of its top assistant coaches.

Bates was also one of Dabo Swinney’s top recruiters to the point that Swinney gave Bates the title of recruiting coordinator following the 2019 season. With Bates gone, that title had to shift to someone else.

It could’ve gone to Brandon Streeter, who served in that role from 2015-19 in addition to being the Tigers’ quarterbacks coach. But with Streeter having offensive coordinator duties added to his plate in December following Tony Elliott’s departure for Virginia, Swinney opted to give the recruiting coordinator title to one of the youngest coaches on his staff, Tyler Grisham.

Swinney said getting a first-hand look at Grisham on the recruiting trail over the years gave him confidence in giving that responsibility to his receivers coach.

“It was an easy transition. He’s more than ready,” Swinney said. “I’ve been able to be in enough meetings with him and on the road and different settings. He was more than ready to be that on-the-field liaison guy that you’ve got to have.

“We’ve got a whole (recruiting) department, but somebody’s got to tie it together from the coach standpoint to make sure we’ve got all the I’s dotted and T’s crossed. He’s great.”

Grisham, who returned to his alma mater initially as a graduate assistant in 2014, had also worked as an offensive analyst at Clemson (2016-19) before being promoted in 2020 to coach receivers, a high-profile position for the Tigers of late. Since Grisham has been on Swinney’s staff, Clemson has developed multiple NFL receivers, including Hunter Renfrow, Mike Williams, Ray-Ray McCloud, Tee Higgins, and Amari Rodgers.

During his time as receivers coach, he’s helped recruit and develop some of the top wideouts on Clemson’s current and past rosters, including Justyn Ross, Joseph Ngata, E.J. Williams and Beaux Collins. Clemson signed two four-star receivers in the 2022 recruiting cycle in Myrtle Beach High standout Adam Randall and Dutch Fork (Irmo) High wideout Antonio Williams.

Grisham, whose new title came with a $150,000 raise, has also helped land the Tigers’ lone 2023 verbal commitment so far, Edison (Miami) High four-star receiver Nathaniel Joseph.

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How much will Clemson football’s coaching staff make in 2022?

Clemson will save a couple million dollars on its football assistant coaching salary pool this year despite the raises recently approved for some of the Tigers’ on-field assistants. Last week, the university’s Board of Trustees Compensation …

Clemson will save a couple million dollars on its football assistant coaching salary pool this year despite the raises recently approved for some of the Tigers’ on-field assistants.

Last week, the university’s Board of Trustees Compensation Committee rubber stamped bumps in pay for five assistant coaches. Add that to the promotions within or new hires to Dabo Swinney’s staff since the end of last season, and the Tigers’ 10 on-field assistants will collectively make $6.55 million this year before any performance-related bonuses.

That’s down $2 million from the $8.55 million the staff earned last year, which isn’t a surprise given the turnover it’s experienced.

Former defensive coordinator Brent Venables ($2.5 million) was the highest-paid assistant in college football while former offensive coordinator Tony Elliott ($2 million) wasn’t far behind. Both won the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach during their time at Clemson before leaving in December to run their own programs at Oklahoma and Virginia, respectively.

The Tigers’ newly promoted coordinators, Brandon Streeter and Wesley Goodwin, will make $1.725 million combined this year, roughly a $2.8 million reduction from what Venables and Elliott earned. Safeties coach Mickey Conn, who recently had co-defensive coordinator added to his title, will earn $800,000 this year.

Cornerbacks coach Mike Reed and defensive tackles coach Nick Eason, recently hired away from Auburn, are Clemson’s next highest-paid assistants at $750,000 each. Eason’s annual salary is a slight bump from that of his predecessor, Todd Bates, who was going to make $715,000 this year before leaving to join Venables’ staff at Oklahoma, where he’ll also be an associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator.

Reed’s salary for this year is up from $700,000 after recently adding titles of assistant head coach and special teams coordinator. Other assistants who also got raises were defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall ($625,000 from $500,000), running backs coach C.J. Spiller ($450,000 from $300,000), receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Tyler Grisham ($450,000 from $300,000), tight ends coach and passing-game coordinator Kyle Richardson ($500,000) and offensive line coach Thomas Austin ($450,000 from $200,000), a former offensive analyst who was promoted following Robbie Caldwell’s recent retirement from coaching.

“We’ve got a great staff,” Swinney recently said in a statement. “It’s going to be fun to start fresh with this group and attack spring practice and our offseason program. We’ve got a lot of great energy. It’s fun to be settled and have everybody in their new roles. We do have new people but also new opportunities within our staff that everyone is excited about.”

As for Swinney, he will earn $8.5 million in the fourth year of the 10-year contract extension he signed in 2019, the same salary he earned last year. Swinney’s total pay will bump to $8.75 million next year, according to the term sheet of his contract.

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