Clemson could wind up with top two players in the nation

It’s down to two schools for the nation’s top prospect.

Defensive tackle Rashan Gary visited Clemson this past weekend and his interest in the Tigers seems to be rising. Michigan has long been perceived as his favorite.

His mother, Jennifer Coney, told ESPN that Clemson and Michigan are the final two, but she wouldn’t offer other specifics.

“He has it narrowed down to two,” Coney told ESPN. “We sat down for probably an hour, hour and a half and got up the same way we sat down. Going in there was probably three or four, now it’s down to two, but he is still undecided.”

Gary is one of at least four Signing Day decisions that Tigers are awaiting. Gary is scheduled to announce on ESPN2 Wednesday at 1:10 p.m.

Coney said her son’s visit at Clemson went “much better than expected.”

“He doesn’t know yet and it scares me,” said Coney said. “There are similar points to both schools with little differences. It depends on what’s most important to him and where he wants to go, because I’ve led him as far as I can.

“He’s stuck right now and I can’t unstick him. That’s something he has to do.”

If the five-star D-lineman picks Clemson, it will be the first time ever the top-2-rated prospects signed with the same school.

Five-star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence is already on campus as a mid-year enrollee – the highest-rated prospect to pick Clemson since Da’Quan Bowers in 2008.

Fox Sports’ lead college football writer Bruce Feldman said a longtiem coach told him “this is a really good defensive line class and Gary is head and shoulders above every other D-lineman in this class.

“He’s 300 pounds and he moves well enough, he can play end. He’s great with his hands. He’s strong. He’s been very well-coached and has had a great high school D-line coach. Rashan Gary is the Leonard Fournette of this class.”

“He’s a 300-pounder who moves like he’s 240. He is special,” said another coach.

Lawrence impressed on the combine circuit.

“I loved this kid. He is 6-5, 345 and was the fastest defensive tackle at the Army combine,” one coach said, who told Feldman Clemson already had a class with “fantastic talent.” “He’s benched 225 30 times and he’s not stiff at all. He plays with low-pad level and has really good hands for a high school kid.

“I think he will (eventually) be a top-10 NFL Draft pick. He’s a solid, humble kid. He’s a lot bigger than Gary.”

Clemson ranks 10th in the 247Sports Composite. With Gary’s addition alone, they would move to as high as sixth, and Gary is far from the last remaining prized target.

Joining Gary with a NSD announcement (9 a.m., ESPNU) is four-star corner Trayvon Mullen, who is believed to be down to Clemson and Florida State (although he made a last-second visit to Louisville before NSD). Mullen once referred to Clemson as a “dream” school.

A little later on NSD (noon), four-star Fort Dorchester OL John Simpson will pick between Clemson and Florida. He made his final official visit to Clemson recently, and eliminated South Carolina from the mix later in the week. His addition alone could clinch a second consecutive top-10 class by 247Sports’ rating.

Mid-week, 3-star DB K’Von Wallace (Highland Spring, Va.), a Cincinnati commit, made the first of two official visits in a week, to Clemson, also going to “dream” school Ohio State over the weekend.

This story was originally published February 2, 2016 at 3:12 PM with the headline "Clemson could wind up with top two players in the nation."