Clemson Could Soon Have Another Shot at 5-Star RB Zamir White


Five-star running back Zamir White is reportedly planning another trip to Clemson for the Tigers’ spring game, but those aren’t the only upcoming visits he has scheduled. 


Of all the premier programs chasing 5-star running back Zamir White, none needs him as badly as the Clemson Tigers do.

Don’t get that twisted.

Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina — the other three schools included with Clemson in White’s top four — all desperately want to add the country’s No. 1 running back to their respective backfields. But the Tigers need him more than the others.

The Crimson Tide have a stable of lightning quick, bruising tailbacks. The Bulldogs have added bluechip halfbacks in each of the last two recruiting cycles to prepare for life without Sony Michel and Nick Chubb, which has been temporarily delayed until 2018.

Even the Tar Heels have quite a bit of depth in their backfield despite the losses of T.J. Logan and Elijah Hood. In the past three cycles, UNC has added Ty’Son Williams, Jordon Brown, Michael Carter and Antwuan Branch. 

And while Dabo Swinney’s Tigers aren’t exactly lacking for ball carriers either, their need for White has been enhanced by their recent national title run.

dabo swinney clemson
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

We’re at a key junction in Clemson recruiting. The Tigers have finally gotten back to the peak of the mountain, and now is the time to re-invest that success in order to sustain over the long haul — much like an entrepreneur letting his money make money.

Now is the time for Clemson to make the leap and reach the same echelon as Alabama and Ohio State, where it can reload year after year and compete for trophies without skipping a beat.

That’s why getting White on campus this weekend for the Tigers’ spring game — as he’s reportedly set to do — is such an important step. White’s mother has grown fond of both Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs and Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide, but if Swinney’s staff can make a big impression this weekend, it could realign the dominos in the recruitment of the nation’s No. 4 overall player.

Imagine what that could do for a program fresh off de-throning Alabama.

As mentioned, the Tigers haven’t lacked in picking up talented running backs. In 2014, they added Adam Choice and Jae’lon Oglesby. Two years later, Tavien Feaster headlined Clemson’s 2016 class. And Travis Etienne was the only tailback the Tigers signed in the 2017 cycle.

Adding White to the roster could be the start of Clemson’s run of easily reloading and firing away on all cylinders — just like Alabama has done with Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon, Derrick Henry, Bo Scarbrough and now Najee Harris, among others.

It’s plug-and-chug for Alabama, and Clemson might not be far off from reaching that level. Its offense is heavily predicated on establishing the run to open up the aerial attack, so it’s easy to see the ripple effects of White potentially choosing the Tigers.

There are no easy recruitments, though.

As mentioned, White’s mother holds Alabama and Georgia in high regard, and both are slated to get visits soon. One of them will occur on April 22, when both the Tide and Bulldogs hold their respective spring games. In the days leading up to that, White is expected to visit Ohio State during his own spring break.

But the visit to Clemson is monumental.

White’s decision will be announced on June 27, so time isn’t abundant.

If the Tigers want to add White, this weekend’s visit could be a swing vote. It might mean the difference between another championship and championships — plural.

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