Clemson continues to dominate on the recruiting trail.
The Clemson Tigers now have the nation’s No. 4 recruiting class after the Tuesday afternoon commitment from four-star defensive tackle Payton Page.
Dabo Swinney‘s program was able to secure the commitment from the 6-foot-4, 360-pound defensive tackle from Dudley high school in Greensboro, N.C. over finalists, Tennessee and North Carolina.
Ranked as the nation’s No. 80 overall player, No. 7 defensive tackle and No. 4 prospect in the state of North Carolina by the 247Sports Composite, Page is the sixth-highest commitment on the board for Clemson.
Clemson still trails Ohio State, Alabama and Oregon in the race for the No. 1 class but there’s still plenty of time for Swinney and his ace staff of recruiters to close in on the top spot.
The Tigers have had tremendous success on the recruiting trail in recent years to coincide with their rise in the college football hierarchy. Page is the latest in a long line of blue-chip recruits to be attracted to the family atmosphere and culture Swinney has created and he won’t be the last to join the program that has become annual contenders for the national championship and has sent dozens of players to the NFL.
While not ranked as highly as former Clemson standout and New York Giants first-round pick, Dexter Lawrence, Page is built similarly to the former national champion. At 360-pounds, few recruits will have a frame as large as him, and that will suit him well as a stop-gap in the interior of the defensive line where he can serve as an anchor in the run game and occupy blockers for the linebackers behind him and the defensive linemen beside him to make plays.
He’s more than just a big body as Page has some athleticism and nimble feet that allow him to make plays in the backfield and create havoc along the line. Look for Page to be an early contributor at Clemson but he may be asked to drop some of that weight he’s packed on in high school to be the best player he can be in the college ranks.
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