Clemson must continue to pursue top centers

By Marc Hudgens  |   Monday, June 23, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Clemson Tigers
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It’s only been in the past few years that Clemson's recruiting has taken off like gangbusters. From the signings of running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller a few years ago to the recent Craig Loston and DeVonte Holloman commitments, coach Tommy Bowden’s program has flourished on that long and dusty trail. One under-the-radar position the Tigers also appear to chase with some regularity is center.

Since 2005, Bowden and staff have done a good job in extending offers to the nation’s top high school snappers. In '05, for instance, Clemson made an offer to Barry Humphries, Rivals’ No. 4 center in the nation. Humphries, then a 6-foot-3, 291-pounder, signed with Clemson, choosing the Tigers over Maryland, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest. Although Humphries has since been moved to guard, one can’t blame the program’s pickup when you consider his prep credentials.

Two years later, Clemson pursued the center position again, making offers to two players -- Ryan Pugh (No. 3 in nation) and Mason Cloy (No. 10). Pugh eventually signed with Auburn, while Cloy chose Clemson.

This past recruiting year, the Tigers went after yet another top center in four-star player Barrett Jones, the top-ranked center for the ’08 class. However the Memphis, Tenn., native signed with Alabama.

Over the past four recruiting years, then, Clemson extended offers to four top centers and landed two of them. Not bad, eh?

As for the '09 class, no offers have been extended to centers. However, it appears Bowden and line coach Brad Scott have exactly what they need right now with Cloy and returning starter Thomas Austin, who came to Clemson as a guard and has done a good job thus far after overcoming the learning curve last season when he replaced Humphries at center. Perhaps the Austin/Cloy tandem will be just what the doctor ordered for an inexperienced offensive line heading into this season.

Looking ahead to 2010, there are some gem center prospects who might interest Clemson. Low-hanging fruit (in or near Clemson’s traditional recruiting territory) will be Chase Brooks (6-0, 255 pounds), a Crestview, Fla., native. An interesting factoid on Brooks is he and Matt Sanders, 2008 Tiger offensive guard signee, are from Crestview High. Perhaps there’s a connection that can be worked, then. Other possibilities include Justin Daniel (6-3, 250), from Collinwood, Tenn., and James King, a 5-11, 226-pounder from Benson, N.C. King would likely need to grow quite a bit next year to garner more interest.

Most will agree that the center is the line’s anchor and leader, thereby arguably being the most important player of the group. Clemson does a great job keeping that all-too-important position on its radar, so all that needs to happen now is for the Tigers to maintain the pursuit.
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He...
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