One of the top linebackers in the nation says he really enjoyed his visit to Clemson. Raekwon McMillan, is one of the most promising linebackers of the 2014 class. The 6'3, 235 lbs. player, from Georgia, took a visit to watch the Tigers play against North Carolina State Wolfpack. He watched Clemson give up 48 points to the Wolfpack, and he was told after the game by coaches that he could be a huge asset to the Clemson Tiger's defensive team. McMillan is only a junior right now in high school, but he is showing great potential to be a defensive leader on the field. This year he had a total 152 tackles and 22 tackles for a loss. He also recorded 3 sacks and 1 interception.
McMillian was interviewed during his visit at Clemson and asked when he was going to make his final college decision:
“Right now, I am just weighing my options,” he said. “I am definitely
going to wait until my senior season and make a decision at one of the
all-star games. Right now, I like Ohio St., Clemson, Alabama, Georgia
and Notre Dame. Clemson is definitely in the mix.”
McMillan later says that the Clemson trip, which is Grandmother accompanied him on, was one of the best college trips that he has taking and there are several things that make it memorable for him.
After the Maryland "game" (I wouldn't call it a game), there are a few things that the Clemson recruiting staff can get out of it. There were a lot of the same problems that the Tigers face every game. With a win of 45-10, and only three turnovers, the coaching staff cannot be too disappointed in the way the offense performed. If you took a look at any game recap, you will notice a lot of offensive players highlighted, and almost no important defensive plays
Maryland was using there 5th string quarterback. That is not a typo. They have been plagued with injuries this season. Shawn Petty, a transformed linebacker, was behind the helm as the Maryland's quarterback on Saturday against the Tigers. This game was one of the few that the Clemson defense has seem to be worthy of mentioning. The defense even was able to secure a touchdown. They defense held the Terrapins to a lowly 180 total offensive yards. While this number may seem to be surprising for all you Tiger fans, the staff must keep in mind..It was the 5th string quarterback! Shawn Petty has not played at the position since he was a senior in high-school. While I am as proud of Clemson as the next guy, I believe this was a misleading victory.With that being said, I do not think that is a turn around for the Clemson Tiger defense. I'm sure that next Saturday, we will all see the same old Clemson defense we have grown to know and love. Personally I am hoping that this game might be able to light a fire under the defensive secondary and give them all a boost of confidence that they need to stop the big plays.
Hopefully the staff was still paying attention to the coverage the linebackers and safeties were putting on the Maryland receivers. If Petty would have had the experience of most other FBS quarterbacks, it would have been no problem for him to hit the open receiver for some big plays.
Building a defensive recruiting class after the loss of Robert Nkemdiche. This has been the top issue for Dabo Swinney the last two days. Everyone has been so focused on the comings and goings of the top defensive end, they have failed to notice some of the other notable additions to the Clemson lineup. Clemson has recently added Scott Pagano, the Hawaiian defensive tackle, and also have been trying to coerce Montravius Adams, another defensive tackle into becoming a Tiger. While the Tigers have slowly been chipping away at becoming a top 10 team, it is becoming more challenging for the recruiting staff to keep players away from Alabama, LSU, and Ole Miss. Through the months Clemson has lost several good commits to these other schools. Dabo and his recruiting staff have added several important defensive backs to the depth chart. The staff will be focused heavily on bringing a unstoppable defensive to Death Valley next year. If they get whip the defense into shape, next year the Clemson Tigers can be on of the top ranked teams in the NCAA.
The highly watched safety has finally narrowed down his college choice to ten. Can anyone take a guess which university has made his final options? If you guess Clemson, you would be right! The 6'2, almost 200 lbs. safety from Virginia has had numerous offers from schools across the nation. Clemson is going to have a difficult job trying to beat out the other nine schools for the right to have him in spring practice. Some of the other schools recruiting the player include; UNC, Florida, Florida State, and Ohio State. If Blanding does become a Tiger, it will be a huge asset to the Clemson secondary.
