Clemson Tigers

Clemson Tigers: Ranking the 2017 recruiting class by instant impact

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:36 p.m. ET

Fansided, Anthony Messenger/FanSided via Rubbing the Rock

The Clemson Tigers are losing some of their premier players to the 2017 NFL draft. Luckily, Dabo Swinney and his staff have built an outstanding recruiting class that should help fill the void. Here are the five true freshman that will have an immediate impact next season.

National Signing Day is a culmination of countless hours on the phones and on the road for all coaching staffs. There are some prospects who wait until Signing Day to announce where they will be headed to school, which leaves all interested programs in limbo.

Clemson’s 2017 recruiting class did not feature any last minute commitments. The most anticipation that Clemson got down the wire was the commitment of Travis Etienne Jr, who was thought to be a lean towards LSU.

National Signing Day for the Clemson Tigers was much more of a waiting game than anything else. Dabo Swinney and his staff knew the prospects that were going to sign, it was just a matter of when they faxed in their Letter of Intent. Without further ado, here are the five freshman with the best chance at playing time next fall.

LeAnthony Williams Jr.

The Clemson Tigers secondary played much better than expected last season. After losing the likes of Mackensie Alexander, Jayron Kearse, and T.J. Green to the NFL, there were serious doubts about the Tigers secondary. Despite the doubts, Clemson’s secondary played lights out in 2016 due to the leadership of Jadar Johnson and Cordrea Tankersley.

The Tigers are losing both Johnson and Tankersley to the NFL, which opens up the door for some of Clemson’s younger defensive backs. That’s where LeAnthony Williams Jr. comes in.

LeAnthony Williams Jr. has the technique and football IQ to play right away. That being said, I expect Williams Jr. to see limited minutes, playing mainly in the nickel. Rising sophomore Trayvon Mullen will likely lock down one of the two corner spots and I expect Mark Fields to secure the position opposite Mullen. Ryan Carter and K’Von Wallace will also log valuable minutes in Clemson’s secondary.

With the health of fellow incoming freshman, A.J. Terrell in question, LeAnthony Williams Jr. will have an opportunity to gain playing time early for the Clemson Tigers.

Justin Foster

The Clemson Tigers are getting a highly underrated prospect in Justin Foster. At 6’3, 250 pound Foster is a scarily explosive defender.

Justin Foster played both defensive end and outside linebacker in high school, which gives him all the more opportunity to get on the field early. Foster is powerful enough to set the edge at defensive end and athletic enough to tackle in space.

The Tigers are not shy about playing true freshman on the defensive side of the football. Just recently, Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence, and Austin Bryant logged extensive playing time during their freshman campaigns.

Brent Venables may get Foster work at both linebacker and defensive end With Dorian O’Daniel leaving following the 2017 season, not to mention the potential early departures of Christian Wilkins and Clelin Ferrell.

Travis Etienne Jr.

Clemson is losing one of the best running backs to ever put on a orange and white jersey in Wayne Gallman. There is no way to duplicate the tenacity and urgency that Gallman ran with. That being said, Travis Etienne Jr. will get ample opportunities to see the field because of Gallman’s departure.

The Clemson Tigers are bringing back two capable tailbacks in C.J. Fuller and Tavien Feaster, so it is not likely that Etienne Jr. secures a starting position. However, in the modern age of college football, teams are using a running back-by-commitee approach. I expect Clemson to follow suit with Fuller, Feaster, and Etienne Jr.

At 5’11, 200 lbs Etienne Jr. is a powerful running back, but, he is far from a one-trick pony. Travis Etienne Jr. has legitimate 4.4 40-yd dash speed. Etienne has the power to get the tough yards and the speed to take it the distance.

I expect Clemson to lean more heavily on the running game early on in the 2017 season to help bring their new starting quarterback up to speed. Clemson’s triple header of Fuller, Feaster, and Etienne Jr. will surely get the job done.

Amari Rodgers

Amari Rodgers is nearly an Artavis Scott clone. Rodgers is a compact slot receiver standing 5’9, 221 lbs.

Clemson has built a storied tradition of wide receiver play under Dabo Swinney and I think Amari Rodgers will continue that tradition. The Tigers are bringing back their fair share of talent at wide-out with guys like Deon Cain, Hunter Renfrow, and Ray-Ray McCloud. That being said, at Clemson, youth is not held against players. If an individual has earned his way onto the field, then he will play.

Point in case, a pair of freshman wide outs, Cornell Powell and Diondre Overton earned their way onto the field in 2016 despite being buried behind the likes of Mike Williams and the aforementioned Deon Cain.

Amari Rodgers is as dangerous after the catch as he is as a route runner. Rodgers is similar to Artavis Scott in the fact that both have a running backs mentality once the ball is in their hands. If Rodgers can be half as good as Scott was during his freshman campaign than Clemson has nothing to worry about.

Tee Higgins

The Clemson Tigers are losing what some are saying is the best wide receiver prospect in the 2017 NFL draft, yet there is reason for optimism. Tee Higgins is that reason.

Regardless if Mike Williams was leaving or not, Tee Higgins is far too talented to sit on the bench. Higgins is longer than Williams at 6’4, however, he posses the agility of a Sammy Watkins. It is rare to find a receiver of Higgins’ size that can contort his body they way that Tee can.

Clemson’s string of first round talent at wide-receiver is surely going to live on through Tee Higgins. I doubt that Higgins will be an out-right starter from day one, mainly because of the talent that is Diondre Overton, however, he will be a major part of Clemson’s offense in 2017.

What’s important for Tee Higgins moving forward is that he continues to build muscle. There is no doubt in my mind that his frame can hold at least ten more pounds of muscle. That added strength will make Higgins all the more explosive and ensure that he is healthy enough to stay on the field.