McDaniel likely to return to Tigers

DeAndre McDaniel is returning for his senior season … probably.

The Clemson safety told Dabo Swinney on Tuesday he will return for the 2010 season. But the commitment still only applies if McDaniel doesn't receive a first-round NFL Draft grade.

While his official draft grade hasn't arrived, McDaniel has conducted his own research and is confident he will be rated as a second-round prospect.

Tennessee's Eric Berry and Southern Cal's Taylor Mays are projected as first-round safeties and as McDaniel has noted, rarely are three safeties taken in the first round.

ESPN and CBSSportsline.com each have McDaniel rated as a second-round prospect.

"I want to help Clemson to an ACC Championship and get my degree," McDaniel said. "We got close this year and now we are all even more hungry to take it one more step and bring an ACC championship to Clemson."

While McDaniel might improve his draft stock by returning, he'll be hard pressed to improve upon his 2009 production, finishing fourth in the nation with eight interceptions.

Defensive tackle Jarvis Jenkins also told Swinney on Tuesday he will return for his senior season.

Flowers commits

Chester High football coach Maurice Flowers believes his junior quarterback Tony McNeal (6-1, 175) is one of the best pure passers around, and he feels McNeal will flourish in the Clemson offense. McNeal committed to the Tigers late Monday after an unofficial visit.

"He can make every throw," Flowers said. "We're a spread team in the shotgun. He can make the skinny post, the deep comeback, and his mechanics under center are good.

"He's great at decision-making. He cut his interceptions in half. And he's playing in a system that's more of a college-type system. He won't be wowed by what's going on."

McNeal passed for 3,533 yards, 37 touchdowns and 17 interceptions as a sophomore. This season he threw for 1,732 yards with 18 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.

He suffered a torn ACL in early October, missed four games and came back and played in the last three.

He will have surgery Jan. 11. Clemson offerered McNeal in December despite the knee injury. The Tigers offered when others said they'd come back after the surgery.

McNeal is the sixth commitment for Clemson's 2011 class. Flowers said McNeal is planning to graduate next December so he can enroll at Clemson in January 2011.