Tiger Tracker: All Clemson Recruiting Mailbag

You've got recruiting questions and we have the answers.

Welcome to All Clemson's recruiting mailbag, where each week we will answer your recruiting questions. Or we will at least attempt to do so, as recruiting is a world with many moving parts and an ever-changing landscape.

With that in mind, let's dive in.

Mailbag

Mike: Will the class be complete by the early signing period?

No doubt the Tigers are on a roll, as Clemson has picked up seven commitments over the past ten days, pushing the total number up to 11. I fully expect that momentum to continue to carry throughout the summer, just maybe not at the volume we have seen since that first weekend of the month when Clemson hosted 27 uncommitted prospects on campus for official visits.

Five of the players that visited that weekend have already committed, and more will surely follow. Whether the entire class is locked up before the end of the early signing period, well that's hard to know, but spots are starting to fill up, and I would bet on most of it being done by then.

Billy: It looks like Clemson has evolved with this NIL stuff. Do you think Clemson lands Top-5 class when it’s said and done?

Evolved may be the wrong word with regards to NIL. I think Dabo Swinney and Clemson have always had a plan for how they would go about navigating the NIL landscape and that plan is already in place. That includes the ongoing construction of a first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art facility, dedicated to NIL. 

Although, Clemson is never going to be involved in any recruiting battle that involves a bidding war. In fact, that kind of "pay for play" is against the law in South Carolina. Instead, the school has gone a different route, using NIL as it was intended, and there are plenty of those kinds of opportunities available for Clemson football players. Just because you don't hear about it or read about doesn't mean something isn't happening.

As for whether Clemson can sign a Top-5 class, it's certainly doable. It's inside that range right now after the commitment of DT Vic Burley. Even after the loss of WR Nathaniel Joseph. Whether it ends up inside of the Top-5 could likely depend on one or two key targets, and how they decide. It is a realistic possibility, though.

Mike: Peter Woods is committing on July 8, is that good or bad for Clemson?

Yes, Peter Woods has set a commitment date of July 8. His last visit was to Clemson the weekend of June 3. He had one scheduled to Florida last weekend but did not make it. As of right now, that I'm aware of, there are no other visits planned and a dead period starts on June 27 that will run through well after his commitment date.

Getting the final visit is never a bad thing, but Woods has long been familiar with everything Clemson has to offer. He has visited on numerous occasions.

"The difference between Clemson and a lot of the other places I’ve been to is just the family atmosphere they have created," Woods told All Clemson after a spring visit. "Everyone is like family, blood or not, and the culture coach Swinney has set, EVERYONE in the program has bought in."

I have always thought we might see a decision before the start of his senior season, so the timing doesn't surprise me all that much. Whether that is good or bad for Clemson, that's hard to say.

With the number of visits he has taken, there is absolutely a genuine interest. You don't visit that many times if you aren't interested. However, this has been a big boy recruiting battle, and I think it's coming down to Clemson and Alabama, with Florida and Jackson State as the other two finalists. Whether Swinney and company go in and poach one out of Saban's backyard, we shall see, but I would give Clemson better than a puncher's chance, no doubt about it. The staff has certainly done all they can, and have positioned themselves well. Now we wait to see if it was enough.

Do you have any recruiting questions that you want to ask? If so, just let us know. Shoot us an email at jp@clemsonmaven.io or shoot us a DM on Twitter.

The Tigers, who went 10-3 in 2021 and finished 14th in the final Associated Press Poll, are the fourth team on FanDuel Sportsbook's list to win it all in 2022.

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