Signing Day 2009

by TigerNet Staff - Wed Feb 04 06:42:39 GMT-04:00 2009

Check back all day on Wednesday to see the latest on Clemson's 2009 recruiting class.

Last Updated: 2:30PM

#	Name	POS	HT, WT	Espn Rnk	Hometown	Official Photo	Status
1.	Malliciah Goodman	DE	6-4 260	DE #10	Florence, SC	PHOTO	Enrolled
2.	J.K. Jay	OL	6-5 285	OT #13	Greenville, SC	PHOTO	Enrolled
3.	Jonathan Meeks	S	6-2 185	NR	Rock Hill, SC		7:15AM
4.	Tyler Shatley	FB	6-3 265	TE #17	Icard, NC	PHOTO	7:30AM
5.	Brandon Thomas	OL	6-4 280	OG #66	Spartanburg, SC	PHOTO	7:54AM
6.	Bryce McNeal	WR	6-2 175	WR #9	Minneapolis, MN	PHOTO	8:05AM
7.	Roderick McDowell	RB	5-10 175	RB #25	Sumter, SC	PHOTO	8:15AM
8.	Tajh Boyd	QB	6-1 208	QB #5	Hampton, VA	PHOTO	9:15AM
9.	Spencer Shuey	LB	6-3 245	ILB #47	Charlotte, NC	PHOTO	10:00AM
10.	Quandon Christian	LB	6-3 205	OLB #23	Lake View, SC	PHOTO	11:00AM
11.	Corico Hawkins	LB	6-0 218	ILB #9	Milledgeville, VA	PHOTO	11:05AM
12.	Darrell Smith	TE/DE	6-3 237	TE #50	Gadsden, AL	PHOTO	2:05PM

Signee Bios

J.K. Jay OL 6-5 / 285 Greenville, SC (Christ Church Episcopal) ESPN Rank: OT #13

Enrolled at Clemson in January of 2009 following high school graduation in December of 2008...ranked as the 86th best overall player in the nation by Tom Lemming, the third best offensive tackle...ranked as #139 player in the nation according to ESPN.com...#11 offensive tackle in the nation according to ESPN.com...#17 offensive tackle in the nation according to Scout.com...#15 offensive tackle in nation according to Rivals.com...member of Rivals.com 250 of 2009...listed as the #4 strongest offensive lineman according to Rivals.com...#7 in South Carolina Preseason top 25 according to Rivals.com...four-star prospect according to Scout.com and Rivals.com...AP All-State Selection in South Carolina in 2008...invited to play in ESPN/UnderArmour All-American game, but did not participate due to injury...missed entire junior season of 2007 due to injury...participated in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas for Team South Carolina along with multiple other Clemson commitments for 2009 including fellow early enrollee Malliciah Goodman...led his high school team to 9-1 regular season record...played baseball and basketball as a sophomore...coached by Don Frost at Christ Church Episcopal School...his grandfather, Jerome Jay, was head coach at Furman....recruited by Brad Scott and David Blackwell...chose Clemson over Georgia, and Tennessee...majoring in communications at Clemson...born Jerome Kenneth Jay on June 22, 1990 in Greenville, SC.

Plyler on Jay: "I saw J.K. on film before his injury and loved his upside. I was a little worried about how he would respond after the injury. I was also concerned about the level of competition. However when I saw him at the Shrine Bowl I was shocked. He has incredible feet and quickness. The Shrine Bowl coaches loved his toughness too. I think we could see J.K. come in and make a run at the two-deep this spring. I think we are talking about a guy that could start for three years. He is a special kid and a special talent."

Reminds Plyler of: A bigger John Phillips

Malliciah Goodman DE 6-4 / 260 Florence, SC (West Florence) ESPN Rank: DE #10

Enrolled at Clemson in January of 2009 following High School graduation in December of 2008... ranked among the top 100 players in the nation by Rivals.com, they have him as the 36th best overall player...the #120 ranked player in nation according to ESPN.com...first-team All-American by EA Sports...#10 defensive end in nation according to ESPN.com...#11 defensive end in nation according to Scout.com....#1 strongest defensive end in nation according to Rivals.com...#1 in South Carolina Preseason top 25 according to Rivals.com...four-star prospect according to Rivals.com and Scout.com...participated in US Army All-American Game, one of only two players from the state of South Carolina to play in that game...participated in the Shrine Bowl for the South Carolina team along ...had productive senior year, with 73 tackles, including 27 tackles for loss and 15 sacks...did that in just nine game...a finalist for Mr. Football in South Carolina...coached by Trey Woodberry at West Florence High School....chose Clemson over Maryland, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.... recruited by Dabo Swinney.

Plyler on Goodman: "My goodness what a good looking prospect. Clemson has been blessed to sign some great looking players over the years like Arthur Bussie, Ashley Sheppard and DaQuan Bowers and Goodman is another in this line. He is just a physical freak. Goodman has extremely long arms and the biggest hands I have ever seen. He is a little raw but enrolling this spring will really help him. I just can’t say enough about his upside. His coaches rave about the kid too. This is another high character young man. I look for him to make a push for playing time this spring."

Reminds Plyler of: DaQuan Bowers

Jonathan Meeks S 6-2 / 185 Rock Hill, SC (Rock Hill) ESPN Rank: NR

Rated a Four Star Safety by Rivals.com...rated #18 Player in the Prep School Top 50 by Rivals.com...rated a Four Star Safety by Scout.com...member of the All-Atlantic Region Team by PrepStar coached by Robert Prunty...played his high school football at Rock Hill High in South Carolina, where he was coached by Joe Montgomery...chose Clemson over Florida, Kansas, N.C. State, North Carolina, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech...born on 11/8/89...recruited by Billy Napier.

Plyler on Meeks: "Clemson needed safeties in this class and Meeks will have a chance at early playing time. I like his speed and the way he can close the gap in coverage. I think he can develop into a good tackler as well. His frame looks like he can add some weight and could play either of the safety positions. Meeks could break into the two deep and is definitely a candidate for special teams play as a true freshman."

Reminds Plyler of: Michael Hamlin

Tyler Shatley FB 6-3 / 265 Valdese, NC (East Burke) ESPN Rank: TE #17

Ranked as the third best fullback in the nation by Tom Lemming... listed as #17 tight end in the Class of 2009 by ESPN.com...rated a Three Star DT by Rivals.com...rated #72 defensive tackle in the Class of 2009 by Rivals.com...rated the #27 Player in the North Carolina Postseason Top 35...rated a Three Star fullback by Scout.com...rated the #7 fullback in the Class of 2009 by Scout.com...#8 Player in the North Carolina 35 by SuperPrep...member of the All-Atlantic Region Team by PrepStar...amassed 2,000 yards and 31 touchdowns rushing over his junior and senior years...had 51 Tackles, 9 tackles for loss as a senior...averaged 40.7 yards/punt as a senior...chose Clemson over Maryland, N.C. State, North Carolina, and Wake Forest...born 5/5/91...recruited by Billy Napier.

Plyler on Shatley: "If you love watching Chad Diehl blow up linebackers like he did in the South Carolina game then you are going to like following Shatley. He is that old style football player. This throwback player loves contact and it showed during the Shrine Bowl. He can play several positions but his toughness will add to the running game with his dominating blocking."

Reminds Plyler of: Chad Diehl

Brandon Thomas OL 6-4 / 280 Spartanburg, SC (Dorman) ESPN Rank: QG #66

Rated #66 offensive guard in the class of 2009 by ESPN.com...rated a Four Star OT by Rivals.com...rated #14 offensive tackle in the Class of 2009 by Rivals.com...member of Rivals 250 for 2009...rated the #8 player in the South Carolina Postseason Top 35...rated a Four Star offensive tackle by Scout.com...rated #14 offensive tackle in the Class of 2009 by Scout.com...#12 player in the South Carolina 46 by SuperPrep...#31 offensive lineman in the All-America 287 by SuperPrep...member of the All-America 250 by PrepStar...selected for the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas but did not play due to injury...coached by Dave Gutshall...chose Clemson over Maryland, N.C. State, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Vanderbilt, and Virginia...born 2/18/91...recruited by Billy Napier.

Plyler on Thomas: "Before his injury, some high school coaches considered Thomas the best player in South Carolina. I saw him last year and early this year and loved several aspects of his game. Dorman used him in a lot of different ways. Here is a guy that runs like a tight end but has the size to grow into a tackle. If he returns to his form before the injury I think we are talking about a potential multi-year starter on the offensive line. He will have to get bigger and stronger bit his feet and balance are incredible."

Reminds Plyler of: David Smith

Bryce McNeal WR 6-2 / 175 Minneapolis, MN (Breck) ESPN Rank: WR #9

(Warning Explicit Lyrics)

National top 100 player according to many services... ranked #75 player in the Rivals100 for 2009... the #91 Player in Top 100 Dream Team by PrepStar... listed as the 75th best overall player in the nation by ESPN.com ... rated #9 wide receiver in the class of 2009 by ESPN.com... ranked as 25th best wide receiver in the nation by Tom Lemming...rated a Four Star wide receiver by Rivals.com...rated the #10 wide receiver in the Class of 2009 by Rivals.com... rated #1 player in the Minnesota Postseason Top 10...rated a Four Star WR by Scout.com...rated the #40 wide receiver in the Class of 2009 by Scout.com...the #8 Player in the Midwest 128 by SuperPrep...the #16 wide receiver in the All-America 287 by SuperPrep... had 31 receptions for 720 yards and 9 touchdowns as a junior...had 41 receptions for 344 yards and 1 touchdown as a senior...participated in the US Army All-American Game...coached by Chris Ohm...chose Clemson over Colorado, Oklahoma, Michigan, Minnesota, and Oregon...born on 10/30/90...recruited by Jeff Scott and Mike Dooley.

Plyler on McNeal: "This was one of the most important signees for several reasons. First, the Tigers need help at wide receiver. Second, it was Jeff Scott’s first big-time national recruiting experience. Third, his announcement on national television was good publicity for the program. And finally, McNeal was active in recruiting others to Clemson. This is a gifted receiver with terrific ball skills. He catches the ball well in traffic. He will have to get stronger but once he males an adjustment to the college game, he has a chance to be a very good player."

Reminds Plyler of: Jaron Brown

Roderick McDowell RB 5-10 / 175 Sumter, SC (Sumter) ESPN Rank: RB #25

Rated #25 running back in the class of 2009 by ESPN.com...rated a Four Star Running back by Rivals.com...ranked as #4 running back in the class of 2009 by Rivals.com...member of the Rivals 250 for 2009...rated #6 Player in the South Carolina Postseason Top 35 by Rivals.com ...rated #48 RB in the class of 2009 by Scout.com...listed as #22 back in the All-America 287 by SuperPrep...ranked #7 Player in South Carolina 46 by SuperPrep...member of All-America Top 250 team by PrepStar...had 158 rushes for 1399 yards and 28 total touchdowns as a junior...came back with 1,892 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior...Shrine Bowl Participant...invited to US All-American Bowl...coached by Paul Sorrells...chose Clemson over Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina...born 2/7/90...recruited by Andre Powell.

Plyler on McDowell: "This is a smaller back that has very quick feet. He reminds me of Andre Ellington in that he is a undersized back but he is tough between the tackles. I think Clemson could use McDowell and Ellington the way Florida has used Demps and Rainey. McDowell also catches the ball well. When Spiller decided to return I thought it meant McDowell could red-shirt but he could improve his chances of playing if he improves his strength like Ellington did last year."

Reminds Plyler of: Andre Ellington

Tajh Boyd QB 6-1 / 208 Hampton, VA (Phoebus) ESPN Rank: QB #5

A consensus top 100 national player...rated as 38th best player in the nation by Tom Lemming...ranked #59 overall player by ESPN.com and #51 by Rivals.com...ranked as 46th best player in the nation by SuperPrep...#87 Player in the Top 100 Dream Team by PrepStar...rated as the #5 QB in the Class of 2009 by ESPN.com.... a Five Star QB by Scout.com... a Four star QB by Rivals.com...ranked as #4 QB in the Class of 2009 by Rivals.com....the #3 Player in the Virginia Postseason Top 30 by Rivals.com... ...#6 Player in Virginia 50 by SuperPrep...#5 QB in the All-America 287 by SuperPrep...played in the Army All-American Game where he earned Co-MVP honors after completing 7 of 9 passes for 179 yards and 3 touchdowns...43-2 as a starter at quarterback in high school...as a junior completed 69 percent of his passes for 2,050 yards and 25 touchdowns and rushed for 7 touchdowns...as a senior completed 57 percent of his passes for 1,455 yards and 23 touchdowns along with three rushing touchdowns ...played his senior year with a torn ACL and had surgery in January...still led his high school to state championship...led Phoebus High School to two Virginia State titles during HS Career...coached by Bill Dee...chose Clemson over Ohio State and Oregon...born 9/25/90...recruited by Danny Pearman and Billy Napier.

Plyler on Boyd: "This was the big fish for the Tigers in this class. You have to give the staff a ton of credit here. Billy Napier and Danny Pearman did a terrific job pushing the right buttons. Also Dabo was terrific with Boyd on his official visit. Boyd is a fantastic quarterback. He played his entire senior season with a torn ACL so he learned how to move around in the pocket. He also became a very accurate passer. Ohio State coaches told him he reminds them of Troy Smith. With all of the physical tools I was surprised to hear his coaches talk about his biggest strength being his leadership skills. Here is a kid that says he does not even go out on Friday or Saturday nights to party. He appears to be a very focused young man."

Reminds Plyler of: Kyle Parker

Spencer Shuey LB 6-3 / 245 Charlotte, NC (South Mecklenburg) ESPN Rank: ILB #47

Rated #47 inside linebacker in the Class of 2009 by ESPN.com...rated a Three Star LB by Rivals.com...rated #24 inside linebacker in the Class of 2009 by Rivals.com...rated the #11 Player in the North Carolina Postseason Top 35 by Rivals.com...rated a Three Star defensive end by Scout.com...rated the #79 defensive end in the Class of 2009 by Scout.com...#28 Player in the North Carolina 35 by SuperPrep...defensive MVP of 2008 Shrine Bowl of the Carolina when he had seven tackles, including two tackles for loss...rushed for 1,260 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior...on the defensive side had 94 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two sacks, and interception return for a touchdown, 7 passes broken up, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble... coached By James Martin...chose Clemson over Duke, Kentucky, Illinois, and Wake Forest...born 12/31/90...recruited by Billy Napier.

Plyler on Shuey: "This is another throwback kind of player. Shuey is a tough, run-stopping middle linebacker. I had no idea who he was until the Shrine Bowl and it did not take long to recognize this defender. If you wanted to find Shuey in the Shrine Bowl all you had to do was watch the guys getting up from the pile. He was terrific in stopping the run between the tackles. Shuey has a nice frame and may grow into a defensive end but his toughness would help at MIKE."

Reminds Plyler of: Danny Tripplet, Chad Carson, Chuck O’Brien

Quandon Christian LB 6-3 / 205 Lake View, SC (Lake View) ESPN Rank: OLB #23

Rated as the #22 outside linebacker in the class of 2009 by ESPN.com...ranked a Three Star linebacker by Rivals.com...rated #51 outside linebacker in the class of 2009 by Rivals.com...rated #24 Player in the South Carolina Postseason Top 35 by Rivals.com...a Three Star SLB by Scout.com...rated as the #19 strongside linebacker in the class of 2009 by Scout.com...the #23 Player in South Carolina 46 by SuperPrep...2009 All-Atlantic Region by PrepStar...rushed for 1,368 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior...accumulated 89 tackles on defense and had eight sacks as a senior ...coached by Darrel King ...chose Clemson over South Carolina and N.C. State...born 2/2/91...recruited by Dabo Swinney and David Blackwell.

Plyler on Christian: "I was surprised with his senior film. Christian was a lot more physical than I thought. He will really strike you. When I first saw him in person he was taller than I first thought also. It is never fair to compare a player too early in his career but it is hard not to look at Christian and think about Anthony Waters."

Reminds Plyler of: Anthony Waters

Corico Hawkins LB 6-0 / 218 Milledgeville, GA (Baldwin) ESPN Rank: ILB #10

Rated as the #10 inside linebacker in the class of 2009 by ESPN.com...rated a Three Star linebacker by Rivals.com...rated #49 inside linebacker in the class of 2009...rated #46 Player in the Georgia Postseason Top 75 by Rivals.com...a Three Star linebacker by Scout.com...listed as #23 middle linebacker in the Class of 2009 by Scout.com...also #28 Player in Georgia 71 by SuperPrep...member of Southeast All-Region Team by PrepStar...accumulated 112 tackles, 16 TFL, six sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, eight PBU, two touchdown receptions as a senior...coached by Jesse Hicks...chose Clemson over Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, and Nebraska...born 10/31/90...recruited by Chris Rumph.

Signing Day Video

Plyler on Hawkins: "I only saw Hawkins on film but liked the way he moves his feet. He runs well and makes plays moving from sideline to sideline. He will play outside linebacker but I am not sure if he will play SAM or WILL. If he can come in in good shape I think he could avoid a red-shirt season especially on special teams. Clemson identified him early and he stood by his commitment a long time. I thought it was important for players like Hawkins to stick with the new staff."

Reminds Plyler of: Nick Watkins

Darrell Smith TE/DE 6-3 / 237 Gadsden, AL (Gadsden City) ESPN Rank: TE # 50

Strong and athletic player who was a tight end and defensive end at Gadsden City High School in Gadsden, AL, the same hometown that sent Danny Ford to Clemson...named to the Mississippi vs. Alabama All-Star game that will be played this summer...had six receptions for 96 yards and 3-17 rushing as an offensive player for coach Joe Billingsley at Gadsden City High...outstanding blocker on the offensive line...ranked as number-59 tight end in the nation in 2008 by Rivals.com...helped team to a 10-2 record as a junior...also considered Troy...recruited to Clemson by Charlie Harbison.

Plyler on Smith: "I had to rely on an Alabama contact for information on Smith because I have not seen him play. I understand he was a versatile athlete at his high school and some felt he was a better prospect than his teammate Kendell Kelly."