Clemson currently has 10 commitments in its 2021 recruiting class, which ranks in the top five nationally right now, and plans to sign around 18 prospects in this cycle according to Dabo Swinney.
In our Breaking Down Clemson’s Top Targets series, The Clemson Insider takes an in-depth look at some of the top names on the Tigers’ board, where they stand with them and more. In this article, we focus on Troy Stellato:
Profile:
Position: WR
Hometown (High School): Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Cardinal Gibbons)
Height, Weight: 6-1, 175
Power Five Offers: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, Utah, Vanderbilt, Washington State, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Ratings/Rankings: 4-star, No. 13 WR, No. 13 state, No. 100 national (247Sports); 4-star, No. 19 WR, No. 14 state, No. 124 national (Rivals); 4-star, No. 46 WR, No. 37 state, No. 235 national (ESPN)
Recruitment rundown:
Clemson extended an offer to Stellato last October and subsequently got him on campus for the Wake Forest game at Death Valley in November. After the visit, Stellato told TCI he had an eye-opening experience while on campus.
“It was a really good time,” he said. “I enjoyed it a lot, just meeting all the coaches and everything. … Obviously Coach Swinney, he was amazing, just meeting him and getting like 15 minutes to talk with him was really cool. It shows how much he cares about the players and about his organization and how he does an amazing job with running his program. I love the facilities and everything and the area … I enjoyed it a lot. It was a good time.”
The Tigers have treated Stellato as a priority ever since, and he returned to Clemson for its junior day in March. The visit gave Stellato a more comprehensive look at the school and program aside from the game-day experience and helped the Tigers strengthen their standing with him.
Where Clemson stands:
In mid-March, Stellato dropped a final two of Clemson and Ohio State. He previously had released a top six on Christmas Day comprised of Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama, LSU, North Carolina and Southern Cal.
But this has primarily been a battle between the Tigers and Buckeyes for some time now. Stellato plans to make his decision this summer, and we believe Clemson is the team to beat going down the stretch.
This has been a tight race, but new Clemson receivers coach Tyler Grisham has done a superb job of building a relationship with Stellato since Jeff Scott was hired as South Florida’s new head coach in December, and the culture of Swinney’s program highly appeals to Stellato as does the tradition at “Wide Receiver U.” Those are a few of the reasons we view Clemson as the favorite to ultimately land him.
What Clemson would get:
With commitments from two outside wideouts in Beaux Collins and Dacari Collins, Clemson is looking for a standout slot receiver to go with them in this class, and Stellato may be that guy.
Stellato is very fast and has been clocked at 4.42 seconds in the 40-yard dash. His speed shows up on film, especially after the catch when he really turns on the jets and consistently outruns defenders. He is quick off the snap on his routes and has reliable hands. He has a good frame to work with at 6-foot-1 and should continue to fill out at the next level.
If the Tigers end up with Stellato, he could be a similar type of player as Hunter Renfrow was for them. Not only can Stellato be a go-to guy on third down and chains-mover, but he is also a burner who can make defenses pay after he gets the ball in his hands.
As a junior last season, Stellato was credited with 42 receptions for 727 yards (17.3 average yards per catch) and nine touchdowns.
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