The Clemson football program is set for a major recruiting weekend; a large group of top prospects is expected in Clemson this weekend, with elite talent in both the 2018 and 2019 classes scheduled to visit.
Not only will the Tigers hold their annual elite junior day gathering on Saturday, but they will also play host to a pair of major official visitors.
Clemson’s two remaining safety targets — Cypress (Texas) Springs four-star Leon O’Neal (pictured above) and Snellville (Ga.) Brookwood four-star Matthew Hill — both will be on campus for official visits this weekend beginning today.
O’Neal, a former Texas A&M commit, was last on Clemson’s campus for the spring game in April. Clemson, Georgia, Oklahoma and Texas A&M are his top four schools. Coaches from each of those schools have visited O’Neal recently, including Clemson safeties coach Mickey Conn, who went in home with him Thursday.
Hill will return to Clemson for the third time since the fall. The Auburn commitment unofficially visited Clemson for the Wake Forest and The Citadel games last season. Hill remains publicly committed to Auburn but did not sign during the early period in December. Auburn, which hosted Hill for an official visit last weekend, views him as a receiver. Clemson is recruiting him as a safety.
Clemson safety target Matthew Hill
A pair of 2019 prospects committed elsewhere will be in Clemson for the junior day: Trussville (Ala.) Hewitt-Trussville four-star offensive tackle Pierce Quick, an Alabama commitment, and Delray Beach (Fla.) American Heritage four-star defensive end/tight end Michael Morris, a Florida State pledge.
Quick, who received an offer from Clemson in September, also attended the Tigers’ junior day last March. This will be the first Clemson visit for Morris, the son of former FSU offensive lineman Mike Morris.
Several top-50 prospects in the 2019 class are slated to attend the junior day, including Quick (No. 43 overall per the 247Sports composite rankings). The others are Loganville (Ga.) Grayson five-star linebacker Owen Pappoe (No. 5), Charlotte (N.C.) Harding five-star athlete Quavaris Crouch (No. 22) and Mineral (Va.) Louisa County four-star defensive end/linebacker Brandon Smith (No. 39).
Pappoe is considered a heavy Georgia lean, with Clemson the Bulldogs’ biggest competition. This will be his first time at Clemson since last June. Crouch is high on Clemson, Alabama, Michigan, South Carolina and others. He plays running back for Harding, but Clemson is among the schools that see him potentially developing into a linebacker. Brent Venables likes Smith at linebacker as well.
Other 2019 linebackers scheduled to visit Clemson this weekend include Savannah (Ga.) Islands’ Kalen Deloach, who picked up an offer from Clemson this week; Roswell (Ga.) Blessed Trinity’s Steele Chambers; Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage’s Drake Thomas; and Shelby (N.C.)’s Jaylon Scott.
Newly offered 2019 linebacker Kalen Deloach
A number of top-100 junior prospects according to the 247 composite are expected in town: Hogansville (Ga.) Callaway four-star offensive guard Keiondre Jones (No. 64); Buford (Ga.) four-star offensive lineman Harry Miller (No. 67); Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer four-star cornerback Andrew Booth (No. 87), Loganville (Ga.) Grayson four-star defensive end Kevin Harris (No. 89); and Virginia Beach (Va.) Bishop Sullivan four-star cornerback Sheridan Jones (No. 91).
Keiondre Jones, Miller, Booth and Harris all consider Clemson one of their top schools. Sheridan Jones, who recently reclassified to the 2019 class, received an offer from Clemson last week.
A highly regarded quarterback is set to visit for the junior day in Monroe (N.C.) Sun Valley four-star Sam Howell. Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State have all offered Howell within the past couple of weeks.
Clemson 2019 quarterback target Sam Howell
Howell will be joined on campus by talented 2019 wide receiver Frank Ladson. The Miami (Fla.) South Dade four-star de-committed from Florida last month before receiving an offer from Clemson. Ladson’s teammate at South Dade, four-star athlete Tyrique Stevenson, is slated to attend the junior day as well. He also de-committed from Florida in December.
Other prospects planning to attend include Elizabeth City (N.C.) Northeastern four-star athlete J.R. Walker and Riverdale (Ga.) four-star tight end Jaelyn Lay. Clemson offered Walker last week.
Following is the full list of prospects that TCI has confirmed are planning to be in attendance. We will report any additions or scratches if they occur.
Leon O’Neal, 2018 S, Cypress, Texas (Springs) – official visitor
Matthew Hill, 2018 S, Snellville, Ga. (Brookwood) – Auburn commitment – official visitor
Pierce Quick, 2019 OT, Trussville, Ala. (Hewitt-Trussville) – Alabama commitment
Michael Morris, 2019 DE/TE, Delray Beach, Fla. (American Heritage) – Florida State commitment
Owen Pappoe, 2019 LB, Loganville, Ga. (Grayson)
Quavaris Crouch, 2019 ATH, Charlotte, N.C. (Harding)
Brandon Smith, 2019 DE/LB, Mineral, Va. (Louisa County)
Keiondre Jones, 2019 OG, Hogansville, Ga. (Callaway)
Harry Miller, 2019 OL, Buford, Ga. (Buford)
Andrew Booth, 2019 CB, Lawrenceville, Ga. (Archer)
Kevin Harris, 2019 DE, Loganville, Ga. (Grayson)
Sheridan Jones, 2019 CB, Virginia Beach, Va. (Bishop Sullivan)
Sam Howell, 2019 QB, Monroe, N.C. (Sun Valley)
Frank Ladson, 2019 WR, Miami, Fla. (South Dade)
Tyrique Stevenson, 2019 ATH, Miami, Fla. (South Dade)
Kalen Deloach, 2019 LB, Savannah, Ga. (Islands)
Steele Chambers, 2019 LB, Roswell, Ga. (Blessed Trinity)
Drake Thomas, 2019 LB, Wake Forest, N.C. (Heritage)
Jaylon Scott, 2019 LB, Shelby, N.C. (Shelby)
J.R. Walker, 2019 ATH, Elizabeth City, N.C. (Northeastern)
Jaelyn Lay, 2019 TE, Riverdale, Ga. (Riverdale)