Clemson Tigers 2021 College Football Recruiting Class Overview
Written by Charlie Beuttel
Twitter: @charlie_cds3
Clemson is one of those programs that reload their roster every year as Dabo Swinney has turned this program into a perennial national title contender, and 2020 was no different. The Tigers finished the regular season 10-1 with their only defeat coming at No. 4 Notre Dame on Nov. 7 (47-40) in double overtime. They then qualified for the College Football Playoffs but lost to Ohio State (49-28) to end of the season with a record of 10-2.
Another reason the Tigers are always in the title picture is Coach Swinney’s ability to draw big-time recruits to Death Valley and the early signing period was another example of this phenomenon. In December, Clemson secured 19 letters of intent from all over the country as these prospects are ready to win a national title with the Tigers. The class sits fifth in the nation with three five-star signees and 14 four-star recruits.
The highest-rated recruit to sign with Clemson was five-star offensive tackle Tristan Leigh, who was the top-rated recruit out of Virginia. The Tigers also locked down the No. 1 recruit from North Carolina in five-star all-purpose back Will Shipley and out of Tennessee in four-star tight end Jake Briningstool.
Another future defensive star for Clemson is four-star linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr from Philadelphia, son of former Philadelphia Eagles star Jeremiah Trotter. Five-star linebacker Barrett Carter from Suwanee, GA will also make a name for himself in the future in the middle of this defense.
A quarterback who will blossom under Coach Swinney in the coming year will be three-star prospect Bubba Chandler from Bogart (GA).
It will be exciting to watch how Clemson continues to be in the national title picture after losing so much talent in 2020 as their recruiting class ranks fourth in the nation and first in the ACC.
Clemson Tigers’ Early Period Signees
APB Will Shipley, 5-11, 198, Weddington HS-Matthews, NC
LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., 6-0, 210, St. Joseph’s Prep-Philadelphia, PA
TE Jake Briningstool, 6-5, 215, Ravenwood HS-Brentwood, TN
WR Beaux Collins, 6-3, 195, St. John Bosco-Bellflower, CA
DT Payton Page, 6-4, 360, Dudley HS-Greensboro, NC
DE Cade Denhoff, 6-5, 235, Lakeland Christian School-Lakeland, FL
CB Nathaniel Wiggins, 6-2, 170, Westlake HS-Atlanta, GA
OG Marcus Tate, 6-5, 318, TRU Prep Academy-Miami Gardens, FL
S Andrew Mukuba, 6-0, 185, Lyndon B. Johnson HS-Austin, TX
WR Dacari Collins, 6-4, 200, Westlake HS-Atlanta, GA
RB Phil Mafah, 6-1, 215, Grayson HS-Loganville, GA
OC Ryan Linthicum, 6-4, 275, Damascus HS-Damascus, MD
OT Tristan Leigh, 6-5, 270, Robinson Secondary-Fairfax, VA
LB Barrett Carter, 6-1, 220, North Gwinnett HS-Suwanee, GA
WR Troy Stellato, 6-0, 175, Cardinal Gibbons-Fort Lauderdale, FL
DE Zaire Patterson, 6-6, 230, Winston-Salem Prep-Winston-Salem NC
OG Dietrick Pennington, 6-5, 326, Evangelical Christian-Cordova, TN
QB Bubba Chandler, 6-4, 195, North Oconee HS-Bogart, GA
ATH Will Taylor, 5-10, 157, Dutch Fork HS-Irmo, SC
Photo credit: Jeff Siner/Associated Press; Clemson HC Dabo Swinney and two of his players