Meeting Clemson’s four-star offensive recruits

By Robert Rousseau  |   Thursday, December 11, 2008  |  Comments( 13 )

Clemson Tigers
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As the Clemson Tigers ready for their bowl game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers and usher in the era of new head coach Dabo Swinney, next year probably seems pretty distant to most. Still, the work being done right now on the recruiting trail will have as much to do with how Swinney’s club plays in the future as anything else.

Along with that, right now the Tigers have three verbal commitments of the four-star variety on the offensive side of the ball going for them. Here’s a little something on each of them.

J.K. Jay: This 6-foot-6, 275-pound offensive tackle from Christ Church High School in Greenville, S.C., runs the 40-yard dash in 4.78 seconds and bench presses 400 pounds. On top of that, he holds a 3.4 GPA, which would seem to indicate that he’s pretty smart.

Jay is considered the best offensive lineman in South Carolina. Though his commitment wavered for a period of time, it appears that Jay is a Tiger to stay with Swinney officially succeeding Tommy Bowden.

He’ll be a bruiser.

Roderick McDowell: If C.J. Spiller leaves for the NFL, it would leave a hole at the running back position. Enter McDowell, a 5-10, 175-pound all-purpose back from Sumter, S.C., who runs the 40 in an astounding 4.4 seconds.

As a junior at Sumter High, McDowell rushed for 1,399 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also caught 17 passes for 293 yards and five scores. But the stats only tell part of the story on him. The number one thing a running back needs is vision, and he’s got it, not to mention a great burst once the hole presents itself. Though McDowell is small, he runs a lot harder than you’d expect.

He should be an excellent addition, which is why Rivals currently considers him the 14th-best all-purpose back in the 2009 class.

Brandon Thomas: Thomas is a 6-4, 280-pound offensive tackle from Spartanburg, S.C., who runs the 40 in 4.7 seconds. The bottom line is that this guy has it all from an athletic standpoint on the offensive line -- balance, speed and agility. Rivals considers Thomas the 14th-best tackle in the 2009 class. He and the bruising Jay could one day make an excellent tandem.
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About Robert Rousseau

Robert Rousseau is a sports writer that has been published in a variety of print and online venues. He’s been writing for RealFootball365.com for almost three years now. When Rousseau isn’t writing about college football he tends to be penning mixed martial arts pieces for MMAFighting.com or...
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