Clemson recruiting: Prospects to watch in Texas for 2020
By: Gavin Oliver February 28, 2019

Clemson is recruiting on a national level and pulling in top prospects from all over the country, but the Tigers are still looking for a breakthrough in the state of Texas. A new recruiting cycle presents another opportunity for Clemson to land a difference-maker from the Lone Star State.

Here are some impact prospects from Texas in the 2020 class to keep an eye on as it pertains to Clemson:

R.J. Mickens, 4-star DB, Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas):

Mickens (6-1, 190) is a consensus top-100 national prospect in the 2020 class according to the major recruiting services. Clemson offered him in January 2018 and he has visited Clemson a couple of times, most recently for the Louisville game at Death Valley last November. Mickens was unable to make it to Clemson’s elite junior day in January but told The Clemson Insider recently that he’s planning to attend the Tigers’ second junior day on March 9. Mickens is looking to narrow down his recruitment in the near future; expect the Tigers to make the cut. The son of former Texas A&M and NFL defensive back Ray Mickens has offers from Texas A&M, Florida, Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan and Stanford, among others.

Chris Thompson Jr., 4-star S, Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas):

Two weeks after receiving an offer from the Tigers, Thompson (pictured above) made his way to Clemson for its January elite junior day, accompanied by his father and younger brother. Dabo Swinney and the Tigers made a strong impression on Thompson and are squarely in the mix along with schools such as Texas, Texas A&M and LSU. Thompson (6-2, 195) is ranked as the No. 3 safety and No. 61 overall prospect in the 2020 class according to the 247Sports Composite.

Zachary Evans, 5-star RB, North Shore (Houston):

Evans (6-0, 195) is ranked as the top running back in the 2020 class by all of the major services, and is the nation’s No. 1 prospect regardless of position according to ESPN. Although the Tigers have yet to offer, Evans is looking to visit Clemson and could do so this spring. The plan for Evans has been to make his college choice in February. His lengthy offer list includes the likes of Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas A&M, Penn State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Georgia and many others.

Bryson Washington, 4-star S, C.E. King (Houston):

Back in the fall, Clemson extended an offer to Washington, who is ranked as high as the No. 4 safety in the country by ESPN. Washington (6-2, 195) told TCI recently that the offer “meant a lot” to him and he was planning to visit Clemson at some point moving forward. Along with Clemson, Washington carries offers from the likes of Texas, Texas A&M, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Florida State. He had been planning to commit on July 4 but said he might push that date back if he needs more time to make his decision.

Other names worth watching: Dallas (Texas) Carter defensive tackle Branard Wright; Dallas (Texas) Highland Park QB Chandler Morris; League City (Texas) Clear Creek OL Chad Lindberg; Carrollton (Texas) Hebron S Darius Snow

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