Clemson pulls from ‘loaded’ Class of 2022 in-state talent during early signing period
It was no secret that Myrtle Beach senior Adam Randall wanted to be a dynamic wide receiver duo at Clemson with fellow South Carolinian Antonio Williams of Dutch Fork.
After all, it has been 10 years since the Tigers have had two in-state receivers sign in the same recruiting class.
“I know that’s going to be exciting and just us being able to go make a big impact, both of us. I know that we’ll be able to do great things if he decides to go there,” Randall told The State at the beginning of the month.
Well, he got Williams and much more.
By the end of Wednesday’s early signing day, Clemson had received national letters of intent from five South Carolinians in Williams, Randall, Mauldin cornerback Jeadyn Lukus and two players from Greenville in tight end Josh Sapp and offensive lineman Collin Sadler.
Lukus, Randall, Williams and Sadler are the Nos. 2-5 players in the state, respectively, according to 247Sports, while Sapp is ranked 18th.
“These are dudes,” Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney said. “These are great players that can go really anywhere, and to be able to have those guys here, it’s a blessing. And to not only have good enough players, but to have the character, to have the academics, to be the right fit from a needs standpoint, all those things. It’s great timing for us.”
The last time Clemson signed this many South Carolinians was in 2018 when the Tigers brought in six, which included wide receiver-turned-cornerback Derion Kendrick (South Pointe), offensive tackle Jordan McFadden (Dorman) and tight end Braden Galloway (Seneca). While South Carolina is always a major point of recruitment for Swinney and Co., he said the Tigers treat the Carolinas and Georgia as if it’s one state. Considering how dense just the city of Atlanta is compared to South Carolina, sometimes there’s a bigger recruiting pool in the Peach State.
This year, however, was different.
“This was a year where there were several offerable men in our state,” Swinney said. “It just worked out well for us that we were a good fit for them.”
Sadler was the first to commit on Nov. 2, 2020 with Randall making his decision on Christmas 2020. From there, the commitment announcements poured in over social media with Williams bringing up the rear as the final commit last week.
“We have so many guys (from South Carolina) playing major Division I, Power Five football,” Sadler said, “and I’m just really glad to see them pull from the talent here.”
For Sadler, an added bonus is going to Clemson with a high school teammate. Even though the university less than an hour from Greenville, it never hurts to have a familiar face in the fold when going away to college. Sadler and Sapp met when Sadler moved to Greenville as a sophomore and they’ve bonded ever since, which includes being workout buddies.
“He kills me in the workout room, so (we’ll be) continuing that at Clemson,” said Sapp, whose father, Patrick, was a quarterback-turned-linebacker for Clemson (1992-95).
Added Sadler on Sapp, “It’s just great having somebody like that beside me. I know he’s going to be where he’s supposed to be when he’s supposed to be there. He doesn’t make mistakes. It’s very comforting knowing that I have a friend that close to me two dorms down, so that’s big.”
Sapp also knows Williams and got to know Randall over the summer. As far as on-the-field production goes for them, they’ll cross-train at different spots. Swinney said Randall can “handle himself in the boundary” while also possessing the skill set to play in the field or slot, and so can Williams.
They’re coming into a situation where it’s likely they’ll see the field as freshman, though Randall said wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham couldn’t guarantee anything, naturally. Justyn Ross, whose No. 8 jersey will be passed down to Randall, is headed to the NFL Draft while Frank Ladson and Ajou Ajou opted to enter the transfer portal. Ajou landed at South Florida and signed with the program on Wednesday. This leaves opportunity open for the newcomers to come in and challenge for playing time.
The five South Carolina signees are part of what Swinney calls his second “Dandy Dozen” signing class after the same name was bestowed upon his inaugural group in 2008. As a whole, the Class of 2022 group ranks 16th in the country and second in the ACC. The Tigers plan on adding to that for the February signing date and will address needs at running back and linebacker first. Swinney also mentioned possibly picking up another cornerback, a safety and defensive lineman. If those players happen to come from South Carolina, the more the merrier.
“This 2022 class is loaded,” Sapp said. “South Carolina, we’ve got a lot of talent here with football, basketball, a lot of athletes here, so ready to get to work with these guys.”
This story was originally published December 16, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
