Class of 2020 Safety Tyler Venables Signs Clemson Letter of Intent

Clemson has added some depth to its secondary and secured the commitment of its long time defensive coordinator. Class of 2020 safety Tyler Venables signed his letter of intent today. The local D.W. Daniel HS product will join his older brother Jake, and father Brent, on the Tigers defense in 2020.

Tyler arrives at Clemson as a 3-star prospect with a .8498 rating from 247 Sports. He is the 75th best safety in the class of 2020 and measures at 5’10” while weighing 191 lbs. I think it is fair to say Tyler’s primary recruiter is his dad Brent Venables.

As we’ve discussed before, Venables has D1 athleticism and would have had a bigger offer sheet if his dad wasn’t Clemson’s DC. He’s posted a 4.53 40 yard dash and a 4.40 shuttle. He’s also been able to show a 34 inch vertical leap. The big question is that Venables has played QB in high school so it is going to be a challenge to switch to the defensive side of the ball. This isn’t a nepotism commitment, but Venables will have some work to do. The biggest reason Venables isn’t a bigger prospect on the national scene is his height.

QT’s Take:

I don’t hate this take at all. Venables is on the shorter side at 5’10 but he has shown the past two years to be one of the better athletes in the state of South Carolina. If this helps keep the best defensive coordinator in the country at Clemson even a little bit, sign me up.

At Safety Venables is going to have to learn the nuances of the position, but he profiles much like Nolan Turner. Turner may be a bit faster than Tyler but a 4.53 is a legit number. He could play as an extra Dime Safety to see the field after a couple of years. Tyler is also a grinder and was a great leader at Daniel. I haven’t heard anyone say anything negative about Tyler or his attitude. He will come to Clemson and just work. Can’t hate on any of that formula for success.