Don’t look now. Clemson just added two more commitments coming out of the big recruiting weekend. First, 4-star Ian Reed, the big offensive tackle out of Austin, Texas, decided he was ready to commit and chose the Tigers over Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama and 25 other big time programs.
Reed, 6-5 290, is rated as the 23rd best OT in the country for 2023, but expect that ranking to rise between now and the time he signs that LOI. As a junior, he was the Texas District 25-6A offensive lineman of the year.
Reed becomes the 1st OL commitment for the Tigers, but he won’t be the last. He became the 6th commitment for the 2023 class, following Avieon Terrell, who committed just yesterday.
The 7th commitment for Clemson came a few hours later in WR/TE Olsen Patt Henry. The talented 4-star has accumulated 16 offers to date, including one from Ohio State recently. Henry, 6-3 215, not only plays football, he runs track, throws the discus, and is solid basketball, scoring 10,6 points a game with 10.9 rebounds a game.
As a WR/TE, Henry caught 61 passes for 1,053 yards and 17 touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, he registered 20 tackles, had six passes broken up and four sacks. He is ranked as the 20th best tight end in the 2023 class, but he will probably come in as a wide receiver in the mold of a Tee Higgins or Mike Williams.
Look for the Tigers list to get longer sooner than later. Several hot prospects to watch for include 5-star edge rusher Victor Burley, 4-star wide receiver Tyler Williams, and OL Jechariah “Flapjack” Owens (announcement scheduled for July 4th) are all coming off the big Clemson weekend and could be ready to throw in with the Tigers.
Getting prospects on campus again will reinvigorate Clemson recruiting and just what the doctor ordered. NIL is now being utilized by this staff and was a hot topic during the recent recruiting weekend. Dividends? We will see.
