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After several near misses, Clemson has pulled in another big name recruit. WR Tee Higgins announced his commitment to Clemson earlier today with an announcement video and Twitter announcement. The Oak Ridge, TN, native has been rumored to be ready for an announcement for weeks, but no one expected such a spectacular move.
B/R Commitment Week: 5-star WR @TeeHiggins5 lights up the sky with his college pick. #BRCommitmentWeekhttps://t.co/ylJY2RoQ7u
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 4, 2016
We've gushed about Tee before, and this time is no different. With Mike Williams in his final season at Clemson, the Tigers offesne needs someone that can stretch the field and be that "target man" in the end endzone. At 6'4" Higgins is that guy. He has fantastic hands as well as a great ability to high point the ball. He should be the next in what has become a long line of excellent receivers at Clemson.
Clemson's main competition for Higgins was Tennessee. The Vols are backyard neighbors of Higgins and there as been plenty of pressure to steer the hometown talent to Knoxville. But once again Dabo and company did an excellent job of showing Tee and his family how he could succeed here, and several recruits from the Class of 2017 have been vocal recruiters for Clemson.
With the offense fairly settled in the Class of 2017 the next question is how Clemson will close on the defensive side of the ball. The Tigers have very few slots available but several areas of extreme need. We should hear more over the next few weeks with the "All In" cookout coming.
QT's Take:
This has been in the works for awhile. I didn't want to steal anyone's thunder but my allusion to BBQ was not for the all-in BBQ but actually for the 4th of July (I know, very sneaky), but after being burned by Carter I wanted to be very cautious. Look, I think Tee Higgins is a sure-fire 5* prospect who profiles like an AJ Green--he has that kind of talent. Jeff Scott also believes this to be the case. He will have the same kind of Sammy impact talent if he comes in knowing the playbook. I have been following this recruitment as much as possible and have known that Clemson led since he decommitted. However, his trip to Clemson's campus really brought everything together. Listing UT as the leader was just a kind of courtesy and to keep the heat off awhile longer (plus building even more suspense).
He will play the 9 position because he has the height and speed. High points the ball beautifully, no real holes in his game. Just needs to keep adding good weight and strength. He is great after the catch in high school, but might need a bit of time to become elite in that area in college (I'm trying to balance my slobber). Unreal catch radius. No problem with drops.
This one has to feel sweet for the coaching staff, including Dabo. Butch stole Josh Malone out from under their noses with some questionable recruiting after the staff felt he was locked up (I still contend Malone has 5* talent that UT is wasting). Clemson has taken 3/4 of the Tennessee targets Clemson identified in Amari Rodgers, Tee Higgins, and Richardson. Trey Smith is the only remaining O-line target. Fierce is the word that comes to mind. UT fans and livid and Butch will have to respond to this one.
I contend that this thing isn't over until signing day just because Tennessee will do everything they can to try and get him back in the fold. I don't see Higgins jumping ship though. Comes from a great family and really is a great person. Clemson is lucky to have Tee--he will be the future of the offense.