Clemson DB target closing in on decision
Defensive back Tony Butler of Lakewood, Ohio, will take two official visits this month then make his decision Oct. 5 at a ceremony at his school.
Butler will visit Rutgers this weekend and Arizona State Sept. 26, and that will be it for officials. He visited Clemson and West Virginia unofficially in July and doesn’t feel the need for official visits with them, though he’s giving them equal consideration with the other two.
“I feel very confident with how my visits went so I don’t think I need to visit again,” Butler said. “Those two schools I’m really high on.”
Butler said he’s been in regular contact with Clemson recruiter Brent Venables and he still has a good feeling for the Tigers.
“I feel very good about all four schools honestly, so it will be where I feel the most comfortable and where I see myself finishing my education off for four years,” Butler said. “That’s why I’ve got to get these two last schools out the way so I can evaluate what I like and what I don’t like. It’s going to go down basically to a week before I make my decision before I really know where I want to go.”
Butler said he doesn’t have a favorite among the four at this point.
▪ Defensive back Trayvon Mullen of Pompano Beach, Fla., said he will set one of his official visits to Clemson this fall. Mullen said he talks regularly with Clemson coaches Brent Venables and Mike Reed with the last conversation earlier this week. He’s also in touch with them on social media.
“They’re saying basically I’ve got a shot to come right in and play right away, be a stand up corner as long as I come in and do what I have to do as far as on and off the field, be a student to the game, I can just come in and play,” Mullen said.
Mullen did not go to a game last weekend and is planning to go to the South Florida-Florida State game this weekend. He said other official visits he’s considering are Florida State and LSU. He’s not calling Clemson, LSU and Florida State his top three but said those are the ones he’s hearing from the most.
Some other schools he’s still considering include Ohio State, Auburn, Florida and TCU. He plans to wait until signing day before making a decision. There is no current favorite.
▪ Clemson in top five with defensive lineman Shavar Manuel of IMG Academy. He also likes Florida, LSU, Florida State and Auburn and there is no order.
▪ Class of 2017 athlete Tancey Richardson of South Aiken is planning to visit Clemson and USC this fall for a game. He’s also planning to visit Georgia, Virginia and Michigan State.
▪ Clemson offered Class of 2017 offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson of Brooklyn. He also has a USC offer and he visited both schools this summer.
Basketball Notes:
▪ Clemson and Yale coaches visited Wednesday with Spring Valley forward Jordan Bruner. Bruner made an official visit to Yale last weekend and has visits coming up with Clemson, Georgia and Tennessee.
▪ De’Riante Jenkins of Hargrave Prep, VA visited VCU last weekend and said of the visit, “It was good.” He will visit Tennessee this weekend, Rutgers two weeks after that and Clemson Oct. 3rd. Coaches from his final four are expected to visit this week.