The Clemson football coaching staff started off the 2019 recruiting campaign in a big way, securing some of the most talented players of the 2019 class. The Tigers have already received commitments from 10 players including five-star receiver Frank Ladson and four-star players Taisun Phommachanh, Sheridan Jones, Joseph Charleston and Chez Mellusi.

In Ladson, the Tigers will continue to live up to the “Wide Receiver U” status that has been established over the past decade. This season, Clemson will field an elite receiving corps lead by Hunter Renfrow, Tee Higgins and Derion Kendrick. With Landry in the mix, the 2019 Tiger receivers are shaping up to be an equally formidable group. 

The Tigers added another quarterback option in Phommachanh, who will look to replace Kelly Bryant’s athleticism next year. While it is hard to believe Phommachanh will see the field early on as a quarterback with Trevor Lawrence and Hunter Johnson on the roster, his mobility and athleticism will give the Tigers a different skill set at the quarterback position. 

With the addition of Jones and Charleston, the Tigers will be addressing what many analysts believe is the weakest area on the current team — the secondary. 

The Tigers’ secondary was certainly the weakest point of their defense a season ago, and with the loss of Ryan Carter, Clemson will be looking for players to step up in the secondary this season. Dabo Swinney clearly emphasized secondary skill and depth this offseason with the commitments of Jones and Charleston, and Tiger fans can expect these two players to make an immediate impact in 2019. 

While the 2019 class is already elite, Dabo Swinney and the Clemson coaching staff are just getting started. When asked about his recruiting plans for the offseason, Swinney said, “Last year we signed 14, which was a small class, and this year we signed 17, which is a small class … So next year will be the very first time in probably three years that we’ll sign a full 25, and I’m excited about doing that.” If Swinney carries through with his plan to sign 25 players, that means there are 15 roster spots still open. Clemson has been linked to several other top athletes including Quavaris Crouch, Zacch Pickens, Andrew Booth and DeMarcco Hellams, who are ranked as the No. 17, 23, 46 and 65 players in the class, respectively. 

Swinney summed up his thoughts on the 2019 class when he said, “It’s going to be a great class … We’ve got a lot of great young people identified, and I look forward to that process. It never ends.”