Thursday 03/30/2000
March 30, 2000
Derrick Brantley…..6-5…300…OL…Mullins, SC Junior college All-America offensive lineman according to Prepstar…ranked as one of the top 75 JUCO players in the east, one of the top 16 offensive linemen…ranked as 37th best junior college player in the nation by SuperPrep, he is ranked third among offensive lineman by that publication…has already enrolled at Clemson, he was a mid-year graduate of Southwest Mississippi Junior College…played for Kenny Eddingfield at Southwest….helped team to 7-3 record in 1998 and 1999, he started all 20 games at guard…all-state and all-region selection at the junior college level in addition to his All-America honors…signed with Clemson in December on junior college signing day…will be ready to go for the start of spring practice on March 11…has three years to play two at Clemson…native of Mullins who played in the Shrine Bowl in 1997…starter his last two years at Mullin HS for Coach Richard Clark…all-state performer who helped team to a 21-4 record and the state playoffs his two years as a starter….born 11-3-79…chose Clemson over Mississippi and Tennessee.
Brian Carr…6-1…185…QB…Conyers, GA Fine all-around quarterback who passed for 1101 yards and rushed 612 yards during his senior year…threw for 10 scores and rushed for eight more…named team’s best offensive player…all-area performer as a quarterback as a junior and senior…nominated for the Georgia/Florida All-Star game to be played this summer…named to the Georgia North-South All-Star game…as a junior, passed for 850 and rushed for 333…starter for two and a half years for Chuck Landy at Heritage HS in Georgia…fine all-around athlete who also plays basketball and outfielder in baseball..two-year starter on the baskeball team and three-year starter on baseball team…an all-area selection in centerfield on the baseball team as a junior…born 12-22-81…chose Clemson over Duke and Notre Dame.
Ronny Delusme…6-2…185…DB…Naples, FL Outstanding all-around athlete who scored touchdowns four different ways in 1999…had 11 total touchdowns, four rushing, three on kickoff returns, two on receptions and two on blocked punts…on defense, had two interceptions, 37 tackles and six tackles for loss from his defensive back position…also a strong contributor on offense, he had 400 yards rushing and scored four times, he had 7-352 receiving, an incredible 50 yards per catch…has already been invited to play in the North/South High School All-Star game in Florida in June…an all-Southeast region choice by Prep Star…played at Lely HS in Naples, FL for coach Mark Swanson…excellent track athlete also, has run a 14.5 in the 110m high hurdles, 38.5 in the 300 hurdles and has long jumped 22-8…starter in football and track…born 9-30-81….chose Clemson over Auburn, Miami (FL) and Florida.
J.R. Grant….6-4…200…DL…Lake Wales, FL A Pigskin Top 100 player from Florida…All-Southeast Region pick by Super Prep, he is ranked as 56th best player in the state….had 72 tackles, including 14 quarterback sacks as a senior in high school…concluded career with school record 39 quarterback sacks…also had 31 receptions for 500 yards as a receiver…had five blocked kicks as a senior, three punts and two field goals…returned two fumbles for touchdowns, including one from 58 yards…all-district first-team selection in 1998 and 1999…also an All-Polk County selection in 1998 and 1999…team defensive MVP in 1988 and 1999…team captain in 1999…a three-year letterman in football…also all-district and all-county in basketball for the 1998-99 season… played his high school football for Brad Metheny at Winter Haven HS…both born 9-14-81…chose Clemson over Auburn and Georgia Tech.
Derrick Hamilton…6-4…190…WR…Dillon, SC Super Prep and Tom Lemming All-American…ranked as 20th best wide receiver in the nation by SuperPrep…ranked as #4 prospect in the state of South Carolina by Mickey Plyler and SuperPrep….ranked as #8 prospect in South Carolina by The State newspaper…Sports Report Top 100 selection…top receiver in the southeast by Rivals 100…as a senior, caught 36 passes for 745 yards and nine scores…averaged 20.7 yards per reception…had eight kickoff returns for touchdown and eight more kick returns for touchdowns that were called back…had eight interceptions, including three that he returned for touchdown….a 3A all-state selection, he was all-region and all-area as a junior and senior…MVP of the North-South game in Myrtle Beach…standout high school basketball player, he is averaging over 23 points per game…three-year letterman in football and basketball…also an all-state, all-area and all-region selection on the hardcourt….played at Dillon HS for Jackie Hayes…born 11-30-81…chose Clemson over South Carolina, Tennessee and North Carolina.
Ryan Hemby…5-10…175…DB…Orangeburg, SC Will join former high school teammates Woodrow Dantzler, Kevin Johnson and Jackie Robinson at Clemson… a top defensive back who had 17 career interceptions, including eight in 1999…had 80 tackles this past season… had seven interceptions as a junior…a SuperPrep All-American who is ranked as #13 player in South Carolina by that publication…ranked as 12th best player in South Carolina by The State newspaper…also a Max Emfinger All-American…chosen to Prep Atlantic All-America team…named top cornerback in South Carolina by Rivals 100…All-Southeast selection by that media outlet…ranked as #7 prospect in South Carolina according to Mickey Plyler…an All-Midatlantic Coast team choice by Tom Lemming…had nine passes broken up on way to all-state year…all-state by The Sports Report…all-state and all region as a junior and senior, all-area as a sophomore, junior and senior…named his team’s defensive MVP as a junior and senior…a three-year letterman in football, he has lettered two years in track…all-state and all-region performer in track…member of National Honor Society…played at Orangeburg-Wilkinson HS for Tommy Brown…born 1-30-82…chose Clemson over South Carolina, Georgia Tech and Maryland.
Terrance Huey…5-9…170…RB…Marietta, GA Played wide receiver most of the year until his team’s tailback went down with an injury…all he did was rush for 1281 yards and score 13 touchdowns in eight games as a running back…an all-region and all-area performer at running back…also had two kickoff returns and two blocked punt returns for touchdowns….comes to Clemson from Marietta High School, the same school as Clemson’s leading rusher and touchdown scorer in 1999, Travis Zachery…two-year letterman in track and football…an All-Dixie Region selection by SuperPrep, he is rated as the 45th best player in Georgia…broke the state record in the long jump with first place showing of 24-4 as a junior…also won the triple jump competition at the 4A state meet and was third in the 200 meters…born 6-6-81…chose Clemson over Auburn and Mississippi.
Aaron Hunt…5-11…210…PK…Oak Ridge, TN All-state kicker in Tennessee who made a school record 52-yarder in 1999…also an all-region 2-5A and all-East Tennessee selection…the Kicker of the Year in the Region, he was a United States National Football Award winner…chosen to the Tennessee All-Star team that will play in Australia this year…attended Ray Guy kicking camps…named most outstanding special teams player at Oak Ridge HS where he played for Bruce Lussier…made 10-16 field goals in 1999…also converted 41-45 extra points…very strong when it comes to kickoffs, only 15 of his 71 kickoffs in 1999 were returned…Knoxville Area Player-of-the-Week in the first week of the season…a big reason his Oak Ridge team finished 1999 with a 12-1 record…team won the Region 2-5A championship and reached the quarterfinals of the state playoffs…outstanding student who is in Who’s Who Among American High School Students…member of FCA…born 10-31-81, the day Clemson defeated Wake Forest 82-24 during its run to the national championship.
Brandon Jamison…6-1…190…LB…Hopkins, SC Ranked as the number-one linebacker in South Carolina…outstanding team leader who was captain of the Lower Richland HS team…Shrine Bowl team selection…all-state and all-region selection…has 38-inch vertical jump and has run the 40 in 4.4…as a senior had 161 tackles, five sacks and seven tackles for loss….as a junior, had 140 tackles and 14 sacks…finished career with 381 career tackles and 12 sacks…holds career record for the midlands with 17 sacks…had 12 sacks in 1998 to lead the midlands in that category…also had 1112 yards on offense and accounted for 13 touchdowns in 1999…ranked as sixth best player in the state of South Carolina according to The State newspaper…second in the state of South Carolina in the shot put on the track even though he weighed just 185 pounds at the time…born 7-31-81…chose Clemson over South Carolina, Auburn, Tennessee and Georgia.
Cedric Johnson…6-4…310…OL…Barwick, GA Perhaps the strongest of Clemson’s 2000 signees, he can bench press 440 pounds…All-Southwest Georgia, all-region and honorable mention all-state offensive lineman…captain of the Thomas County Central team where he played for Head Coach Ed Pilcher…strong candidate for the Florida-Georgia All-Star game…born 11-25-81…chose Clemson over East Carolina.
Keith Kelly…6-0…215…RB…Walterboro, SC National top 100 player according to many services…Tom Lemming, Max Emfinger, Football Report, ESPN, Gridiron Greats and Rivals 100 all ranked Kelly as a top 100 player…..ranked as 97th best player in the nation and sixth best player in the Mid-Atlantic Region by Lemming….ranked as 19th best running back in the nation by SuperPrep magazine…SuperPrep All-American…ranked 11th among running backs nationally prior to the season by Rivals 100, he is an All-American by that service… also all-southeast selection by Rivals 100…Sports Alliance All-Southeast team…ranked as #6 prospect in state of South Carolina by Mickey Plyler and SuperPrep…ranked #15 in South Carolina, regardless of position, by The State newspaper…4A all-state selection as a junior and senior…all-conference, all-region and all Low Country as a junior and senior…had almost 4200 yards rushing and 52 touchdowns for his career…he had a 7.6 yards per rush average over last two years…also played some quarterback in addition to his running back duties….as a junior had 2100 rushing and scored 27 touchdowns….as a senior, played in just six games due to injury, but still had 1250 yards and 16 touchdowns…not a bad passer, he threw for 367 yards on just eight attempts as a junior on halfback option passes…has recorded a 10.8 in the 100-meters and 22.3 in the 200 meters…has a long jump of 21-6…played for Walterboro HS for Coach Leroy Riley…born 9-1-82…chose Clemson over South Carolina, Florida State and Georgia Tech.
John Leake…6-2…210…LB…Plano, TX Had 140 tackles and 10 sacks as a linebacker for Scott Phillips’s Plano East team…also rushed for 900 yards and 11 touchdowns as a running back….named unanimous all-district on offense and defense….helped Plano East to an 11-3 record in 1999 and the Final Four of the state 5A playoffs….his season included a 160-yard rushing game against archrival Plano High School and a 17-tackle performance against North Mesquite High in the state playoffs….two-year starter at linebacker, Leake had 85 tackles for Plano East’s 9-3 team of 1998….averaged seven points and 10 rebounds a game in 1999-00 in basketball, and also competes in the triple jump, long jump, high jump and sprints on the track team….played baseball as a junior… first Clemson signee from the state of Texas since Darnell Stephens (Commerce) in 1991….father played at Wyoming as wide receiver, earning letters in 1969-70-71…Leake narrowed his selections to Clemson and Oklahoma, but also visited Texas A&M and Wyoming.
Todd McClinton…6-6…250…TE…Columbia, SC Ranked as the number-one tight end in the nation by Rivals 100 entering the 1999 season…ranked as #1 tight end prospect in the nation by Border Wars…ranked as the fifth best tight end in the nation by SuperPrep magazine, he is a SuperPrep All-American……a national top 100 player by Rivals 100…an all-region pick by Tom Lemming, he is ranked as 22nd best player in Mid-Atlantic Region…ranked as the third best prospect in the state, regardless of position by The State newspaper and by SuperPrep…played in the Shrine Bowl for South Carolina…all-state and All-Midlands selection…averaged 18 yards a catch at C.A. Johnson High in Columbia…had 32 catches in 1999 for 663 yards and six scores…also rushed 47 times for 450 yards and scored five touchdowns…had 237 yards on kick returns, giving him 1350 all-purpose yards in 1999…for his career, had 53 catches for 1163 yards and 11 scores…had 77-750 and 10 touchdowns rushing for his career…had 2150 all-purpose yards for his career and 21 touchdowns….had 21 catches for 500 yards and five touchdowns as a junior….also standout in basketball, he averages 18 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots per game for C.A. Johnson High…..played for Coach Victor Floyd…born 12-28-80…chose Clemson over Auburn, Miami (FL),Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Ronnie Thomas…5-11…190…WR…Quincy, FL Will join former high school teammates Willie Simmons and Charles Harper at Clemson next year…a Super Prep All-America receiver who caught 130 passes for 2850 yards and 37 touchdowns in his career…averaged an incredible 22 yards a catch over his career, many of those receptions came from Simmons…in 1999 he collected 58 receptions for 1150 yards and 11 scores, he was the second leading receiver in the state of Florida…had 45 catches as a junior for 1045 yards and 14 scores…ranked among the top 50 players in the state of Florida by Super Prep…ranked among the top 10 receivers in the country by Rivals 100…All Big Bend selection as a junior and senior, he was 3A All-State as a senior…all-area and all-region his final two years…ranked among the top 25 players in Florida, regardless of position, by the Florida Times Union…a Florida Golden Nuggett selection, meaning he was one of the top 15 players in the state…All-Southeast Region pick by Prep Star…..played at Shanks High School in Quincy, FL for Coach Andy Gay….born 5-3-82…chose Clemson over Alabama, Georgia Tech and Georgia..
Donnell Washington…6-6…270…DL…Beaufort, SC A Super Prep All-American ranked among the top defensive linemen in the country…an All-region selection by Tom Lemming, he is ranked as 13th best player in the Mid-Atlantic Coast region…went both ways in high school, he was a dominating blocker on the offensive line in addition to his defensive attributes…ranked #22 in the nation among defensive linemen by Rivals 100…a member of the Rivals 100 All-America team…ranked as top defensive lineman in the Southeast by the same media outlet…ranked as third best defensive lineman in the state by The State newspaper, the 25th best player overall…ranked as #17 player in state of South Carolina by Super Prep…a Sports Report All-State selection who had 16 sacks and 75 tackles as a senior at Battery Creek HS…all-regional choice as a junior and senior…also a 4A all-state choice as a junior and senior…named team’s defensive MVP…all-conference for three years, he lettered four years…also lettered two years in basketball and two years in track…played for coach Fred Hamilton at Battery Creek HS…already can bench press over 400 pounds and squat 600 pounds….born born 2-6-81…chose Clemson over Florida State, Auburn, Tennessee and North Carolina..
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