Clemson football will likely end up signing these five recruits for 2021.
Since Dabo Swinney took up the mantle, Clemson football has been a perennial powerhouse. And not that this is news to anyone but that doesn’t happen without recruiting at an extremely high level. The Tigers have consistently been atop recruiting rankings, which is why they’ve developed a stranglehold on the ACC and have been a consistent force in the College Football Playoff.
That has continued early in the 2021 recruiting process. Clemson is currently No. 9 in the 247Sports Composite team rankings with a class of 13 commits headlined by No. 1 all-purpose back Will Shipley and No. 1 inside linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. But the class can get better and potentially push the Tigers into the top five classes in the country.
To make that happen, Clemson needs to land the big fish. And looking at who the Tigers are targeting, these five blue-chip recruits will likely end up donning orange for their college football careers.
Clemson football has been a recruiting hotbed under Dabo Swinney and these five blue-chip recruits will likely end up signing with the Tigers.
The defensive line at Clemson has been a point of pride over the years, especially in the late-2010s when they boasted one of the most vaunted groups in recent memory. Part of that unit was a behemoth by the name of Dexter Lawrence. And now Swinney could add a player of a similar mold to the new fray if they can land Payton Page.
Measuring in at 6-foot-4, 360 pounds, the Greensboro, NC native is an absolute titan on the defensive front. The four-star prospect is the No. 80 overall recruit in the 247Sports Composite rankings and the No. 7 defensive tackle in the class. Even though he might not be the highest-rated prospect that Clemson could sign, he could have a big impact.
Despite his immense size, Page moves pretty well for a player at his position. He can generate a pass rush, which is impressive with his frame and is more than just a space-eater. That’s why Clemson has some heavy competition for him, including North Carolina and Tennessee as the other frontrunners amid their own great recruiting classes.
Page is scheduled to make his decision on Tuesday, July 28 and it would be a shock to see him hold up anything other than a Tiger paw on his hat. He seems like the exact type of big-bodied defensive tackle Brent Venables loves to mold and that will likely be a selling point to get him to Clemson at the end of the day.