Clemson has signed a handful of prospects from the state of Tennessee during Dabo Swinney’s tenure, most recently four-star linebacker Kane Patterson in the 2019 class and wide receivers Tee Higgins and Amari Rodgers in 2017.
The Tigers are again looking to nab some of the best talent from the Volunteer State in the 2020 cycle. Here are some of the top prospects from Tennessee to watch as it pertains to Clemson:
Reggie Grimes, 4-star ATH, Mt. Juliet High (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.):
Grimes is ranked as the No. 4 weak-side defensive end in the country by 247Sports, while Rivals ranks him as the No. 3 outside linebacker nationally for the class of 2020. Clemson is recruiting the 6-foot-4, 215-pound prospect as an athlete and extended an offer to him following the Dabo Swinney Camp last June. The top-ranked prospect in the Volunteer State attended a game at Clemson in 2017 and returned to Death Valley for the Duke game last season. Grimes told TCI after the visit that Clemson stood “high” on his lengthy offer list, alongside other favorites like Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and LSU. The Crimson Tide are considered the team to beat for Grimes, the son of former NFL defensive lineman Reggie Grimes Sr., who played at Alabama in the late 1990s when Swinney was then an assistant coach for the Tide.
Bryn Tucker, 4-star OL, Knoxville Catholic High (Knoxville, Tenn.):
Tucker received an offer from Clemson in January while on campus for the Tigers’ elite junior day. After the visit, he told TCI that it was “definitely an offer [he] was waiting for.” The 6-foot-5, 305-pound tackle also has offers from Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Auburn, LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma and Notre Dame, among others. Tucker, who hails from the same school as Amari Rodgers, is ranked as a top-10 offensive tackle in the 2020 class. Clemson has gotten Tucker on campus several times, the Tigers are recruiting him hard and they appear to have staying power in his recruitment.
Keshawn Lawrence, 4-star DB, Ensworth High (Nashville, Tenn.):
Lawrence (6-2, 185) is considered a top-100 national prospect for 2020 by the 247Sports Composite, which also ranks him as a top-five prospect in Tennessee and a top-five safety nationally. Lawrence picked up an offer from Clemson last spring, then returned to campus for the win over South Carolina last November. In December, he named Clemson one of his top nine schools along with Auburn, Florida, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. The Tigers are one of the frontrunners for Lawrence, who is looking to take some official visits in the spring.
Tyler Baron, 4-star DE, Knoxville Catholic High (Knoxville, Tenn.):
Baron was teammates with Lawrence at Ensworth before transferring to Knoxville Catholic earlier this year. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Baron accompanied Lawrence to Clemson for the South Carolina game last season and left campus with an offer from the Tigers. Baron told TCI recently that he was planning to return to Clemson this spring, and that Clemson would be on his list of top schools when he narrows things down in the future. Baron has been to Tennessee on a bunch of occasions, and the Volunteers have been viewed as the team to beat. Baron is considered a top-10 strong-side defensive end and top-150 prospect nationally in the 2020 class.
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