Breaking Down 2010 Recruiting
Signing Day has come and gone, only to mark the next recruiting cycle that will take place for 2011.
But before we get ahead of ourselves and look at the next class of high school seniors, I want to take a look at the signed guys for both Clemson and South Carolina, give a grade to each school and give a projection for the state of South Carolina's top 15 prospects for 2011. Also, I'll give my rating of where the two SC schools rank in their conferences.
Clemson
The Tigers signed a very small class in 2009, which led many to believe they would sign a monster-sized class for 2010. And the Tigers made good on that expectation, signing 23 players, and this class addresses some needs and and has some pretty highly rated guys.
But the one word I'd use to describe this class is fast. According to Rivals, Clemson signed seven guys that ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds or faster. They also addressed what I believe is the biggest need in defensive backs with the losses of many seniors in the backfield. CBs Garry Peters and Darius Robinson, both steals out of Georgia, fit the mold of big, fast corners that should be physical guys, as well as being fast. S Desmond Brown looks to be a hard-hitting, physical DB that could fit the mold of a DeAndre McDaniel.
The Dline seems to have added depth and talent with the signing of prep-schooler Josh Watson (DT), and high-schoolers Tra Thomas and Tavaris Barnes. Corey Crawford is the lone DE of the class, and he is tall and has room to fill out. LB was also addressed with the signing of Ricky Chaney.
Another LB prospect, Jake Nicolopulos, will not be joining the team due to a severe stroke he suffered, and has appeared to end his playing career. We here at the Report wish Jake the best in full recovery.
But at the final hour, Clemson iced the recruiting cake by signing LB Justin Parker to round out the class, and give them a MLB to build around.
On offense, WR Martavis Bryant may be the top player in the class. He has size, speed and good hands. The only question is his academics. Sources from T.L. Hanna High School inform that he is borderline with his grades, and may have to go to prep school or a JUCO before he can join the Tigers. RB Demont Buice is a big, physical running back that looks to fit into the scheme of having a power runner, and a speed guy in the Clemson backfield. They also signed a TE in Sam Cooper, who has a good frame to grow into.
Offensive line was also addressed, with the signing of Kalon Davis (OG), David Beasley (OG), Gifford Timothy (OT) and Reid Webster (OT).
The only area I wish Clemson didn't touch on was QB, and I really think they should've gone after a one with the transfer of Will Korn, and the uncertainty of Kyle Parker. Now, Clemson has put all their eggs in the Tajh Boyd basket (assuming Parker goes pro in MLB) for next season, which could come back to bite them.
One area to note are the athletes they signed: Victor Beasley, Bashaud Breeland, Deandre Hopkins, D.J. Howard and Joe Craig. All these guys run at least a 4.5 in the 40. Craig projects as a WR, and with some scouting agencies clocking him at a 4.3, he could be the next big play threat for the Clemson offense. Both Breeland and Hopkins project as DBs, which will only help depth in the depleted corp. Hopkins played both S and CB while at D.W. Daniel and could play either position, while Breeland projects as a pure S. Howard is a guy that could play either RB or safety. I think with the current group of backs, and how wide open the safety position will be, he will probably be a safety at Clemson, and probably be a candidate on special teams.
The enigma is Victor Beasley. His 6'4, 220 lbs frame, and his speed, could place him at a number of positions. He could play WR, TE, or be an oversized S. Most project him as a LB or a TE, but I think he may be the most versatile player Clemson signed this year.
Overall, I'd give this class a B+. It addressed most needs except at QB, and it appears they have a good group of guys for Dabo to start building the program the way he likes it. If Clemson signed a QB in this class, I'd be hard not to give them an A.
A few guys could crack the two-deep, especially in a wide-open defensive backfield and wide receiving corps. Look for Hopkins, Robinson, and Peters to make the most noise in that area. Crawford and Watson could come in and provide depth on the Dline, and Bryant could be the possession WR Clemson hasn't had since Aaron Kelly. Craig could be the guy that fills the other WR spot, but most of this class, I see redshirting.
South Carolina
The Gamecocks recently boosted their 2010 class with the signing of RB Marcus Lattimore to round out their 25-man class. If fast describes Clemson's class, then the word beef would describe USC's.
After deplorable offensive line play the past few seasons, the Gamecocks made an effort to sign a large line class. The class, while losing OG Erick Mack, still looks pretty good. It is headlined by C/OG A.J. Cann, who may be on the two-deep come this fall, depending on how much weight he can put on. Other linemen will probably be redshirted: OTs Corey Robinson and Cody Gibson, OGs Duvon Millsap and Ronald Patrick, and OG/C Tramell Williams. This group addresses the numbers needs for linemen, the final verdict will have to be reserved. Remember in 2006 the Gamecocks signed a large Oline class, and that group never fulfilled its potential.
Along with the line and Lattimore, the 'Cocks signed QB Connor Shaw, WRs Nick Jones, Ace Sanders and Javon Bell, and QB/ATH Dylan Thompson. The three wide-outs filled the need for speed receivers that Carolina has lacked, and Shaw and Thompson fill the need for another QB.
On defense, the headliners are CB Victor Hampton and DT Kelcy Quarles. The rest of that side of the ball was made up of DE Corey Simmons, DT J.T. Suarratt and JUCO DL Byron Jerideau. They also signed two linebackers: OLB Brandon Golson and JUCO Toquavius "Qua" Gilchrist. Accompanying Hampton in the backfield are CBs Brison Williams and Cadarius Sanders, and safeties Sharrod Golightly and Chris Payne.
The Gamecocks also signed kicker Patrick Fish, who is rated the number 23 kicker in the country (Rivals.com).
A concern for Carlina is grades for a few players. Bell is reported to be iffy at the moment, as is Payne, who will probably have to go to a JUCO before he can have another shot at joining the Gamecocks.
Overall, I'd give this class a B. Before Lattimore, this class was a B- at best (I'd almost give it a C+ with the last-second loss of WR Sean Tapley). It feels needs, but Carolina missed on a lot of highly rated prospects. The only area I thought Carolina could've done better was in the area of TE. The Gamecocks really needed a TE in this class, and are now in a must-sign scenario for 2011. The question is Thompson: If he doesn't stay at QB, he is projected as a TE, and that could fill an issue. Still, I'd like to see USC sign a pure TE in 2011.
Guys such as Lattimore, Quarles, Gilchrist, Hampton, Cann, Jerdeau and one of the three receivers I see cracking the depth chart this year. The rest of this class I expect be redshirted.
ACC Rankings
1-Florida State
2-Clemson
3-Virginia Tech
4-NC State
5-Miami (Fl)
6-North Carolina
7-Boston College
8-Georgia Tech
9-Maryland
10-Wake Forest
11-Virginia
12-Duke
SEC Rankings
1-Florida
2-Alabama
3-Auburn
4-LSU
5-Tennessee
6-Ole Miss
7-Georgia
8-South Carolina
9-Miss. State
10-Kentucky
11-Arkansas
12-Vanderbilt
South Carolina's Top 15 Prospects-2011
1-Jadeveon Clowney 6'5, 225 lbs. (DE-South Pointe)
2-Everett Golson 6'0, 170 lbs. (QB/ATH-Myrtle Beach) UNC verbal
3-Shon Carson 5'9, 185 lbs. (HB-Lake City)
4-Charone Peake 6'3, 185 lbs. (WR-Dorman)
5-Phillip Dukes 6'3, 295 lbs. (DT-Manning)
6-Tony McNeal 6'1, 180 lbs. (QB/ATH-Chester) Clemson verbal
7-Julius Pendergrass 5'10, 185 lbs. (RB-Chester)
8-Lateek Townsend 6'2, 211 lbs. (LB-Marlboro County)
9-Shaq Anthony 6'5, 265 lbs. (OL-Wren) Clemson verbal
10-Jeremiah McKie 6'0, 170 lbs. (ATH-Mauldin)
11-Brandon Shell 6'7, 290 lbs. (OL-Goose Creek)
12-Dexter Staley 6'2, 215 lbs. (LB-Williston-Elko)
13-Shamir Jeffery 6'2, 195 lbs. (ATH-Calhoun County)
14-Jerome Maybank 6'4, 310 lbs. (OL-Waccamaw)
15-Sam Merriman 6'1, 190 lbs. (LB/S-Cheraw)
But before we get ahead of ourselves and look at the next class of high school seniors, I want to take a look at the signed guys for both Clemson and South Carolina, give a grade to each school and give a projection for the state of South Carolina's top 15 prospects for 2011. Also, I'll give my rating of where the two SC schools rank in their conferences.
Clemson
The Tigers signed a very small class in 2009, which led many to believe they would sign a monster-sized class for 2010. And the Tigers made good on that expectation, signing 23 players, and this class addresses some needs and and has some pretty highly rated guys.
But the one word I'd use to describe this class is fast. According to Rivals, Clemson signed seven guys that ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds or faster. They also addressed what I believe is the biggest need in defensive backs with the losses of many seniors in the backfield. CBs Garry Peters and Darius Robinson, both steals out of Georgia, fit the mold of big, fast corners that should be physical guys, as well as being fast. S Desmond Brown looks to be a hard-hitting, physical DB that could fit the mold of a DeAndre McDaniel.
The Dline seems to have added depth and talent with the signing of prep-schooler Josh Watson (DT), and high-schoolers Tra Thomas and Tavaris Barnes. Corey Crawford is the lone DE of the class, and he is tall and has room to fill out. LB was also addressed with the signing of Ricky Chaney.
Another LB prospect, Jake Nicolopulos, will not be joining the team due to a severe stroke he suffered, and has appeared to end his playing career. We here at the Report wish Jake the best in full recovery.
But at the final hour, Clemson iced the recruiting cake by signing LB Justin Parker to round out the class, and give them a MLB to build around.
On offense, WR Martavis Bryant may be the top player in the class. He has size, speed and good hands. The only question is his academics. Sources from T.L. Hanna High School inform that he is borderline with his grades, and may have to go to prep school or a JUCO before he can join the Tigers. RB Demont Buice is a big, physical running back that looks to fit into the scheme of having a power runner, and a speed guy in the Clemson backfield. They also signed a TE in Sam Cooper, who has a good frame to grow into.
Offensive line was also addressed, with the signing of Kalon Davis (OG), David Beasley (OG), Gifford Timothy (OT) and Reid Webster (OT).
The only area I wish Clemson didn't touch on was QB, and I really think they should've gone after a one with the transfer of Will Korn, and the uncertainty of Kyle Parker. Now, Clemson has put all their eggs in the Tajh Boyd basket (assuming Parker goes pro in MLB) for next season, which could come back to bite them.
One area to note are the athletes they signed: Victor Beasley, Bashaud Breeland, Deandre Hopkins, D.J. Howard and Joe Craig. All these guys run at least a 4.5 in the 40. Craig projects as a WR, and with some scouting agencies clocking him at a 4.3, he could be the next big play threat for the Clemson offense. Both Breeland and Hopkins project as DBs, which will only help depth in the depleted corp. Hopkins played both S and CB while at D.W. Daniel and could play either position, while Breeland projects as a pure S. Howard is a guy that could play either RB or safety. I think with the current group of backs, and how wide open the safety position will be, he will probably be a safety at Clemson, and probably be a candidate on special teams.
The enigma is Victor Beasley. His 6'4, 220 lbs frame, and his speed, could place him at a number of positions. He could play WR, TE, or be an oversized S. Most project him as a LB or a TE, but I think he may be the most versatile player Clemson signed this year.
Overall, I'd give this class a B+. It addressed most needs except at QB, and it appears they have a good group of guys for Dabo to start building the program the way he likes it. If Clemson signed a QB in this class, I'd be hard not to give them an A.
A few guys could crack the two-deep, especially in a wide-open defensive backfield and wide receiving corps. Look for Hopkins, Robinson, and Peters to make the most noise in that area. Crawford and Watson could come in and provide depth on the Dline, and Bryant could be the possession WR Clemson hasn't had since Aaron Kelly. Craig could be the guy that fills the other WR spot, but most of this class, I see redshirting.
South Carolina
The Gamecocks recently boosted their 2010 class with the signing of RB Marcus Lattimore to round out their 25-man class. If fast describes Clemson's class, then the word beef would describe USC's.
After deplorable offensive line play the past few seasons, the Gamecocks made an effort to sign a large line class. The class, while losing OG Erick Mack, still looks pretty good. It is headlined by C/OG A.J. Cann, who may be on the two-deep come this fall, depending on how much weight he can put on. Other linemen will probably be redshirted: OTs Corey Robinson and Cody Gibson, OGs Duvon Millsap and Ronald Patrick, and OG/C Tramell Williams. This group addresses the numbers needs for linemen, the final verdict will have to be reserved. Remember in 2006 the Gamecocks signed a large Oline class, and that group never fulfilled its potential.
Along with the line and Lattimore, the 'Cocks signed QB Connor Shaw, WRs Nick Jones, Ace Sanders and Javon Bell, and QB/ATH Dylan Thompson. The three wide-outs filled the need for speed receivers that Carolina has lacked, and Shaw and Thompson fill the need for another QB.
On defense, the headliners are CB Victor Hampton and DT Kelcy Quarles. The rest of that side of the ball was made up of DE Corey Simmons, DT J.T. Suarratt and JUCO DL Byron Jerideau. They also signed two linebackers: OLB Brandon Golson and JUCO Toquavius "Qua" Gilchrist. Accompanying Hampton in the backfield are CBs Brison Williams and Cadarius Sanders, and safeties Sharrod Golightly and Chris Payne.
The Gamecocks also signed kicker Patrick Fish, who is rated the number 23 kicker in the country (Rivals.com).
A concern for Carlina is grades for a few players. Bell is reported to be iffy at the moment, as is Payne, who will probably have to go to a JUCO before he can have another shot at joining the Gamecocks.
Overall, I'd give this class a B. Before Lattimore, this class was a B- at best (I'd almost give it a C+ with the last-second loss of WR Sean Tapley). It feels needs, but Carolina missed on a lot of highly rated prospects. The only area I thought Carolina could've done better was in the area of TE. The Gamecocks really needed a TE in this class, and are now in a must-sign scenario for 2011. The question is Thompson: If he doesn't stay at QB, he is projected as a TE, and that could fill an issue. Still, I'd like to see USC sign a pure TE in 2011.
Guys such as Lattimore, Quarles, Gilchrist, Hampton, Cann, Jerdeau and one of the three receivers I see cracking the depth chart this year. The rest of this class I expect be redshirted.
ACC Rankings
1-Florida State
2-Clemson
3-Virginia Tech
4-NC State
5-Miami (Fl)
6-North Carolina
7-Boston College
8-Georgia Tech
9-Maryland
10-Wake Forest
11-Virginia
12-Duke
SEC Rankings
1-Florida
2-Alabama
3-Auburn
4-LSU
5-Tennessee
6-Ole Miss
7-Georgia
8-South Carolina
9-Miss. State
10-Kentucky
11-Arkansas
12-Vanderbilt
South Carolina's Top 15 Prospects-2011
1-Jadeveon Clowney 6'5, 225 lbs. (DE-South Pointe)
2-Everett Golson 6'0, 170 lbs. (QB/ATH-Myrtle Beach) UNC verbal
3-Shon Carson 5'9, 185 lbs. (HB-Lake City)
4-Charone Peake 6'3, 185 lbs. (WR-Dorman)
5-Phillip Dukes 6'3, 295 lbs. (DT-Manning)
6-Tony McNeal 6'1, 180 lbs. (QB/ATH-Chester) Clemson verbal
7-Julius Pendergrass 5'10, 185 lbs. (RB-Chester)
8-Lateek Townsend 6'2, 211 lbs. (LB-Marlboro County)
9-Shaq Anthony 6'5, 265 lbs. (OL-Wren) Clemson verbal
10-Jeremiah McKie 6'0, 170 lbs. (ATH-Mauldin)
11-Brandon Shell 6'7, 290 lbs. (OL-Goose Creek)
12-Dexter Staley 6'2, 215 lbs. (LB-Williston-Elko)
13-Shamir Jeffery 6'2, 195 lbs. (ATH-Calhoun County)
14-Jerome Maybank 6'4, 310 lbs. (OL-Waccamaw)
15-Sam Merriman 6'1, 190 lbs. (LB/S-Cheraw)
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