Clemson Commit: OL Chandler Reeves is a Clemson Tiger

Chandler Reeves has committed to the Clemson Tigers.This marks the 9th commitment to the class and 2nd offensive lineman commitment. Wait...who is Chandler Reeves?

OL Chandler Reeves (6'6, 255) comes from Eagle's Landing Christian High School in McDonough, Georgia. Eagle's landing has produced some college prospects (we whiffed on DE Andrew Williams who ended up at Auburn) so I was surprised to hear that Reeves had flown under the radar. He is a 2 star prospect who will probably get a bump to a 3 star, but he is definitely a project. He choose us over Georgia Tech.

We have had a rough go with getting a second offensive lineman committed. Not from a lack of trying, however. We have OL John Simpson very close to a commitment after a solid camp visit, despite a favorable trip to Alabama. The rundown of prospects we have missed on is a bit depressing. We offended Landon Dickerson on his initial visit with our attention to Sean Pollard (I actually don't think Dickerson is as good as a company like Rivals has him ranked, solid prospect but nowhere near top 50 status--top 250 and solid but Rivals is overestimating one camp performance). Will Fries was always a longshot with the local Penn State being the long term favorite. Clark Yarbrough went the academic route and committed to Stanford. Jack DeFoor surprised everyone by going ahead and committing to Ole Miss. Luke Elder is disappointingly trending toward USCjr.

Parker Bordreaux is still in play but isn't as likely as he once was. Clemson has competition primarily from Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and Florida. 4* Bryce Matthews (6'6, 275) from Brentwood, TN was another camp standout but we face stiff competition from Tennessee and Ole Miss.

How does this relate to Chandler Reeves? It is hard not to feel a bit like Reeves is a fallback prospect. He isn't. He came into camp and Coach Caldwell really liked how he moved and he is an advanced technician. Reeves is a wonderful kid who was attracted to the family vibes and Christian values within the program. He brought his family back with him on a second visit after camp that sealed the deal for Clemson. By all accounts he fits all the character and work ethic boxes.

However, Chandler is a serious project as a prospect. A lot of the guys listed above have already filled out or are hovering in the 270-280 range. It makes for a better evaluation at a position where it is already so hard to project. What we don't know is what Reeves will move like with an additional 40 pounds or so. I can't say anything definitive on Reeves as a prospect because he will need a redshirt year and probably a freshman year to gain that much good weight. The limited film I have seen says he has a good frame to fill out, good quickness and foot speed (at this weight), and advanced technique with angles and hand placement (although his lack of weight and strength sometimes gets him too upright).

This isn't the take I was expecting as our second O-line take. I'd love this as a 4th Oline take, but we wanted a true offensive tackle and got a guy who will be a project but has a high ceiling depending on weight and strength gains. Right now with numbers we will take a 3rd (Simpson) and then make a decision on a player by player evaluation on a potential 4th take. My gut feel is that we would still take Parker and Bryce as a potential 4th Olineman but not anyone else,

This sounds more negative than I intended it to be. You can see the potential Reeves possesses, but a lot of major college programs haven't given him a serious look with his weight so low. This will be a good gauge of where our Strength and Conditioning program is currently at.

Welcome to Clemson Chandler Reeves!