BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Clemson Tigers inked the nation's No. 4 class for 2015, according to RecruitingNation, and are off to a terrific start in 2016 with seven verbals, including No. 13 Tavien Feaster and No. 128 Tavares Chase of IMG Academy.
Based on the comments of No. 66 Rahshaun Smith Monday, the Tigers may not be done at IMG Academy in 2016. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound outside linebacker prospect made a visit with his mom the last weekend in January, and Clemson knocked it out of the park.
“By far, without a doubt it’s Clemson that’s been recruiting me the hardest and was my best visit,” Smith said. “Since the day I had the scholarship, they have recruited me the hardest. Coach [Dabo] Swinney and I have a real strong relationship. When I took my mom down for a visit, my second time going, I got to meet the university president and he is from my hometown. We built a strong relationship, my mom loves him, he loves my family and I’ve not heard anybody say that they have had a meeting with the president of a school and I’m around a lot of top prospects. That was big."
The 2016 Under Armour All-America Game selection isn’t ready to name a leader or top tier of schools, but Alabama is another that has made a strong impression.
“Alabama, when I went down there, I felt a strong connection with the coaches," Smith said. "When I went down in the summertime and they saw the things I was capable of doing, I could feel the strong relationship beginning.”
While Smith is still in the planning stages of the next wave of unofficial visits, he knows of a few programs he hopes to check out in person this spring.
“I just received offers from Pitt, UCLA, the new Florida staff, Michigan State and Michigan. That’s just a few recent ones. I want to get to Pitt to see what they are about, I want to see what UCLA is about and Miami because my boy Lawrence Cager just signed there.”
With more than 40 offers, Smith couldn’t ask for more from the recruiting process. Now it just comes down to finding one thing that will put a school over the top.
“I have everything I have ever wished for. I’m just taking it day by day right now. I want to go to a program that has a coaching staff that is welcoming, and will be there when it’s not just about football. A coaching staff that I can have a shoulder to lean on…kind of like a father I’ve never had.”
Smith is expected to make a decision this spring, possibly before the evaluation period begins. Clemson’s chief competition is Alabama, Florida State, and Penn State with Florida, Miami, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Auburn and Oklahoma also receiving serious consideration.