Clemson Gameday Recruiting Update: Briscoe and the DABO Award

I think I just need to get this out of the way so I can try and give the Syracuse fan base another go around. We all genuinely enjoyed Louisville fans so I think there is hope.

Everyone knows around here that we have a bit of a tumultuous relationship with our current head coach. He can be somewhat embarrassing at times and more a head cheerleader than a head coach. But I get to say that--you don't get to say that Coot, Nole, or Magician type thing. I don't take kindly to anyone cussing out our head coach, especially on national television and in the first half of a game (a game that saw a second half run that led Syracuse fans to get all giddy like they could win, only to be shut down by Mr. Sammy Watkins).

Nobody gets to kick my guy (Dabo) around but me (STS). You certainly don't get to go and make an award called the DABO and expect me to be ok with it just because you don't take yourself too seriously. All of this while having one of the most embarrassing coaches in all of college football.

Go to the 1:05 mark and watch the entertainment unfold. Shafer goes from talking about fighting butts off and being questioned about an awful coaching decision to ISIS and other embarrassing tangents (someone should create an award for this guy, right?). It made me downright proud to have Dabo Swinney as my head coach.

In the spirit of random tangents before we hit recruiting news:

I am seriously loving this UNC debacle. Here is an ESPN article (with a great video interview with embattled former UNC star player Rashad McCants) that has this gem from Roy Williams:

"If this were my first 16 months of coaching, you wouldn't see a 17th month," Williams said. "It's been a pain in the rear end, but I believe in this university. Nobody knows what's going to happen with the NCAA, but I feel strongly, strongly that we did things the right way."

This is the true Carolina Way. Deny, deny, deny and try to push blame somewhere else.

Swofford--I want to see some triple secret probation. Additional penalties levied by the ACC after everything the NCAA does because this isn't just athletic cheating, this is the very core of what we do as institutions of higher learning.

Of course, Roy isn't to blame according to Heels. Oh no. He just inherited this system from Dean Smith and looked the other way, err...didn't know anything about his players academics...umm...is old and senile. Yep, lets go with that.

Wrong. Death. Penalty.

Recruiting News (aka chinks in the armor)

This has already been reported elsewhere so I don't feel like I need to hold it back. We've had some instances where guys have contemplated other offers. This happens every year whether we hear about it or not (we reported last year that highly coveted LB recruit Korie Rogers was contemplating a late visit to Auburn).

The one I'm going to report on is substantive. Clemson commitment CB Juwuan Briscoe is contemplating visiting the Penn State/Ohio State match-up tonight. What is going on here? Well James Franklin is a great recruiter and I think he has gotten in the head of Briscoe a bit. He wants him to visit for a white-out and I think he has helped Juwuan feel a bit unappreciated by the Clemson coaching staff and Clemson family.

It is not a visit you want him to take because it will be a great environment and it runs counter to Clemson's no-visit policy (and before anyone says just to cut him because of it--Deshaun did visit Auburn so lets collectively pump the brakes). Briscoe was being told to take his official visit during banquet weekend and that led to some of the confusion/not feeling the love. This is part of the challenge of recruiting a bit out of your geographic footprint.

We don't know if he will take the visit tonight but it would be a loss for Clemson. We might be able to recruit a similar talent at DB but I'm not so sure (we would certainly push hard for some elite level talent and if we whiff tuck the scholarship for next year/give it to a 5 hearter). Briscoe was a great find and continues the staff's ability to locate undervalued talent. He is having a great senior season. Hope we keep him but with a visit tonight all bets are off.

Go Tigers...bury Cuse.