Maryland recap.

taken by Ken Lund

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.

Quin Blanding the five star safety!

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.

Scott Pagano. Another defensive recruit

Scott Pagano committed to play for Clemson in August. He will add yet another 4 star recruit for the Clemson Tigers, and also another star defensive lineman to the team. This young man will be apart of the highly recruited defensive team that will hopefully lead Clemson to having a stronger defense. The 6'3, 280 lbs players picked Clemson over LSU and Alabama. When asked why he only stated that felt comfortable at the school (anyone see a trend?). With Clemson having some of the top recruits, this class is going to be one of the most closely watched freshman classe in the nation.
Thankfully it seems like Dabo's recruiting staff is staring to focus on improving their defensive struggles. If they are able to secure a top defensive squad, the Tiger will be unstoppable next year on the gridiron.


P.S. Picture courtesy of Sweet Carolina Design & Photo

Clemson in the fight for another top recruit

Montravius Adams says he has narrowed down his college choices down to five final top choice, and it just so happens that Clemson is one of them. The other four of his top choices are Alabama (obviously!), Florida Gators, Auburn (The other "tigers"), And Georgia Bulldogs. Adams has had offers from 20 other universities. Several experts are saying that Alabama is the most obvious choice for the 6'4, 310 lbs. defensive lineman, but he has not officially made a decision yet. The big advantage that Clemson has, is the fact that have already committed the number one pick for next season. This young defensive star would be a great addition to the Tiger's line, hopefully Dabo will be able to charm this young man into joining the Clemson family.