The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tigers beat Buckeyes to top player in Ohio
Clemson football has gotten pretty used to signing the top prospects in the country.
So the No. 1-rated offensive lineman in the 2018 class should fit in nicely.
Five-star offensive lineman Jackson Carman signed with the Tigers on Wednesday. He is the third top-10 player in the 247 Sports composite to join the Tigers class, after Cartersville quarterback Trevor Lawrence and K.J. Henry, a defensive end from North Carolina.
Ohio State and Southern California were two other teams Carman considered.
The 6-foot-6, 330-pounder out of Fairfield, Ohio, is rated as the No. 9 player in the class and the best player in Ohio. It’s only the second time since 2010 the state’s top recruit didn’t end up at Ohio State.
Carman surprised many by choosing Clemson over the Buckeyes, then told reporters that Tigers coach Dabo Swinney had comments about Ohio State coach Urban Meyer during the recruiting process that played a role in his recruiting.
“He also kind of mentioned that Urban was on the back end of his career, which he is. And Dabo is just starting up,” Carman said.
“Having the chance to be part of something that’s upcoming, and being able to establish Clemson as a top (team) . ... Not hugely, but it was an underlying factor.”
Pittsburgh: After losing a pair of quarterbacks over the past month to transfers,
coach Pat Narduzzi and offensive coordinator Shawn Watson replenished their ranks at football’s most important position on Wednesday, as two of Pitt’s 15 early signees are quarterbacks.
Freshman Kenny Pickett started the team’s final game against Miami on Nov. 24, a 24-14 upset of the then-No. 2 Hurricanes, and seems to be the team’s answer as a starter going forward.
That prompted the December transfers of redshirt sophomore Ben DiNucci and redshirt freshman Thomas MacVittie, leaving the Panthers with just one scholarship quarterback.
Pitt signed Nick Patti from St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, New Jersey, and Ricky Town from Ventura College in California.
Syracuse: Coach Dino Babers reached deep into Florida for four players and signed four from New York as the Orange strive to become more competitive in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s tough Atlantic Division.
Syracuse’s early class of 15 players was ranked 44th by 247 Sports, putting the Orange on pace for their best showing in the past decade. Still, it was behind six other ACC schools, half of them in the Atlantic Division.
Among the signees Wednesday were four wideouts and three linebackers as Babers focused on replacing key players on both sides of the ball who finished their Syracuse careers.
Louisville: The school signed defensive tackle Dejmi Dumervil-Jean, the nephew of former Cardinals star and NFL player Elvis Dumervil, among 20 recruits. The 6-foot-5, 357pound Dumervil-Jean, from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, highlights 12 defensive recruits announced on Wednesday.
Louisville also signed teammate Trenell Troutman, a 5-11, 190-pound safety. Another Cardinals recruit with NFL bloodlines is 6-3, 225-pound defensive end Thurman Geathers of North Cobb High School. His uncle, Jumpy Geathers, played for four clubs over 14 seasons.
Louisville’s offensive recruits include 6-3, 185pound quarterback Jordan Travis (The Benjamin School, West Palm Beach, Florida); and 6-1, 185-pound receiver Jatavious Harris from Baldwin High in Milledgeville.