CLEMSON NOTES: Clemson making progress getting more instate players

  • Travis Sawchik
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  • Posted: Friday, February 3, 2012 12:01 a.m.
    UPDATED: Friday, March 23, 2012 5:19 p.m.
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CLEMSON -- While Clemson lost the top in-state player to South Carolina for the fourth straight year Wednesday when Lexington receiver Shaq Roland followed Jadeveon Clowney (2011), Marcus Lattimore (2010) and Stephone Gilmore (2009) to Columbia, Clemson did make recruiting gains within the state borders.

For the first time under coach Dabo Swinney, more than half of Clemson's signees -- 11 of 20 -- are from South Carolina. Clemson signed the state's Nos. 3, 5, 8, 10, 16, 17 and 19 prospects according to Rivals.com

Clemson recruiting coordinator Jeff Scott said there was not a greater focus on in-state prospects in 2012.

"I think it's just how it worked out," Scott said. "South Carolina is the No. 1 priority for us. ... I think it just kind of cycles through. South Carolina just happened to be a good year for the type of prospects we were looking for."

Kelly to redshirt?

Swinney said he would prefer to redshirt four-star quarterback signee Chad Kelly in 2012.

"You'd love to redshirt him and grow him up and develop him," Swinney said. "He's incredibly talented. Who knows what's going to happen? We tell all those guys to be ready to play."

Kelly told The Post and Courier this week that offensive coordinator Chad Morris has several packages designed for him in 2012.

Other Chick-fil-A Bowl

Highly touted recruit Cassanova McKinzy had an interesting reason for choosing Auburn over Clemson.

"(It was) kind of the environment and plus (Clemson) had no Chick-fil-A on campus," McKinzy said. "You had to go like, probably like 15 minutes off campus to go to like a real restaurant. Their café was kind of small." For the record, Clemson does have Chick-fil-A on campus.

Signing day splash ... for 2014

In an anti-climactic signing day at Clemson, perhaps the biggest splash came in the form of verbal commitment from quarterback DeShaun Watson, a class of 2014 prospect from Gainesville High, Ga. The 6-3, 190-pounder sophomore has already set county records for passing yards (4,324) and touchdowns in a season (57).