Clemson currently has 12 commitments in its 2021 recruiting class, which ranks No. 3 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 Andrew Mukuba:

Profile:

Position: Safety

Hometown (High School): Austin, Texas (Lyndon B. Johnson)

Height, Weight: 6-0, 185

Power Five Offers: Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Kansas State, LSU, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas Tech, UCLA, Utah, Washington State

Ratings/Rankings: 4-star, No. 7 safety, No. 32 state, No. 195 national (ESPN); 4-star, No. 13 safety, No. 33 state, No. 208 national (247Sports); 3-star, No. 18 safety, No. 43 state, NR national (Rivals)

Recruitment rundown:

Mukuba’s recruitment has blown up this year with offers rolling in from more than two dozen major programs, including Clemson and schools such as Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Florida State and Notre Dame just to name some.

Earlier this week, Mukuba narrowed things down when he released a top 12 comprised of Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Michigan State, Missouri, Texas, TCU and UCLA.

The plan for Mukuba moving forward is to have his recruitment further cut down by the time the recruiting dead period ends and then visit the schools on his short list before making a decision. Right now, he seems intent on taking those visits before he commits, so he appears willing to wait out the dead period regardless of how long it lasts. All in-person recruiting is currently suspended through at least the end of the month.

Where Clemson stands:

Although Mukuba has never stepped foot on Clemson’s campus, the Tigers have established themselves as a major contender in his recruitment since extending an offer to him in mid-March. He is building a strong relationship with defensive coordinator Brent Venables and safeties coach Mickey Conn, and he has communicated with a lot of Clemson’s commitments in the 2021 class as well.

Among other schools heavily pursuing Mukuba are Texas, Alabama, Georgia and LSU. We like where Clemson stands right now, though there is still work to be done as he wants to make some final visits before he settles on a school. Eventually getting Mukuba on campus figures to only help the Tigers’ chances. The Longhorns look like Clemson’s biggest competition.

What Clemson would get:

A multi-sport athlete in football and track and field who used to play soccer too, Mukuba is an athletic, rangy safety that plays very fast. He shoots out of the secondary like a bullet when coming up in run support, and he is able to cover a lot of ground down the field in coverage when playing the pass. Mukuba closes on the football quickly and is a physical hitter who can lay the wood when he makes contact with an opposing player. Also a receiver in high school, Mukuba has good ball skills.

Mukuba was named the Offensive Newcomer of the Year in his district as a junior in 2019 and also earned first-team all-district honors at safety.

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