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Clemson OL target sets commitment date
Tiger Boards - Clemson Recruiting
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Clemson OL target sets commitment date

1

Jun 24, 2024, 11:46 AM
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Brookline, Mass. 2025 offensive lineman prospect Hardy Watts set a July 1 (noon) commitment announcement.

He is trending to Michigan, per multiple recruiting outlets, after a visit there over the weekend, but he did make stops at Clemson and Wisconsin and had at least one prediction to Clemson after his visit to TigerTown.

https://x.com/HardyWatts2/status/1805256720328917257

https://www.tigernet.com/clemson-football/recruit/hardy-watts-4445

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Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date

3

Jun 24, 2024, 12:19 PM
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Until Clemson gets into a position to offer some real NIL money to these top linemen it is going to be an uphill battle to land any of these premier offensive linemen. Right now it’s like they are recruiting with one hand tied behind their back when competing with the top programs for these high rated linemen.

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Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date

1

Jun 24, 2024, 12:29 PM
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I wish we could get some of our wealthy alumni to support some of these high value recruits by sponsoring them with NIL money.

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Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date

1

Jun 24, 2024, 12:34 PM
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I don’t see it improving until IPTAY directly runs NIL fundraising and is allowed to connect it to the seat equity plan.

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It'll be difficult, IPTAY fundraises and is able to use the seat equity plan as


Jun 24, 2024, 12:55 PM
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part of their overall pitch which includes tax deductibility for donations. NIL funds don't get the deductions (as far as I know, and it wouldn't make sense if they did) so entertaining the two would be a difficult web to weave.

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Re: It'll be difficult, IPTAY fundraises and is able to use the seat equity plan as


Jun 24, 2024, 3:02 PM
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IPTAY is not tax deductible for individuals.

2025 purple level member flag link military_tech thumb_downthumb_up

You are correct, my bad, I forgot that the seat equity piece isn't tax


Jun 24, 2024, 4:00 PM
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deductible anymore. I don't get season tickets, so that slipped my mind.

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Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date

4

Jun 24, 2024, 12:34 PM [ in reply to Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date ]
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They are not the problem, the money is there. It’s a philosophy problem. Good luck getting that changed. Seems he’s dying in this hill.

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SUrvey nailed it.....

1

Jun 24, 2024, 12:44 PM
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$$$ is there.

Its how/when we spend it. There is a preference to do it after you get on campus and after proven yourself a bit. Not the same for all position groups either.......

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Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date

4

Jun 24, 2024, 12:35 PM [ in reply to Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date ]
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I really don't think this is as much of a money issue as it is getting these top talent linemen to the next level. We don't have the track record of doing that compared to the B1G and SEC. It will take Luke some time to develop the talent we do get into next level prospects. Even the lower tier B1G teams and some SEC teams have had more success developing their OL talent and getting them to the NFL and I don't think they are spending any more than we are.

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Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date

1

Jun 24, 2024, 4:28 PM
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I tend to agree with you on this 100 %.

We lost Nash to miss st. I posted the other day, if it's about money, then Dabo is doing a poor job vetting the kids. He's talked ad nauseum how detailed his vetting process is. And I believe in Dabo and his process.

So, if a potential recruit comes in asking about nil, said kid won't get an offer no matter how many stars next to his name.

Do we miss on a few because another college offered him nil, probably so, but I would bet the house it's few and far between. If it was all about nil like many post, then our dline would be mediocre and we'd be losing DL to nil... but we don't.

slwcu79®

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Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date

3

Jun 24, 2024, 12:36 PM [ in reply to Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date ]
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Do OL require more NIL money than the other top recruits we have signed/are signing? The issue is Clemson is not known for developing OL. Hopefully with Luke, that will change.

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Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date

1

Jun 24, 2024, 12:46 PM
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There are only so many top tier offensive linemen. All the big time programs know the importance of building an offense from within with great linemen so the competition for these top linemen is fierce. You better either be willing to pay top NIL money or be known for putting linemen in the NFL & right now Clemson is doing neither. Sometimes teams get someone due to other considerations but those are few & far between.

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Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date

2

Jun 24, 2024, 12:40 PM [ in reply to Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date ]
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How much money is in Clemson’s NIL collective program?? Does anyone know? I’ve heard from multiple people who are long time Clemson donors that Clemson has nowhere near what’s necessary to pay these types of recruits. I mean #### how can we go up against these ####### schools like Texas with stupid money paying their linemen $50,000 each and handing out Lamborghinis?
Most fans do their best to support IPTAY and pay small fortunes for season tickets and hotel rooms on the weekends. Now we have to contribute to getting into bidding wars over players that have yet to set foot on the campus.

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Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date

2

Jun 24, 2024, 12:45 PM
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We are 18 in the country in NIL $ as a program as of 11/23...

P5 NIL Team Rankings (from on3):
1 - Texas $19.9 mil
2 - Alabama $16 mil
3 - tOSU 13.6 mil
4 - USC 13.5 mil
5 - Georgia 13.4 mil
6 - Colorado 12.3 mil
7 - Michigan 11.6 mil
8 - Oregon 11.6 mil
9 - Tennessee 11.6 mil
10 - Florida State 10.2 mil
11 - LSU 10.1 mil
12 - Penn State 9.9 mil
13 - Oklahoma 9.7 mil
14 - Texas A&M 9.3 mil
15 - Notre Dame 8.6 mil
16 - Miami 8.2 mil
17 - South Carolina 8 mil
18 - Clemson 7.8 mil
19 - Florida 7.8 mil
20 - Ole Miss 7.3 mil
21 - Auburn 6.9 mil
22 - Washington 6.9 mil
23 - Missouri 6.8 mil
24 - North Carolina 6.8 mil
25 - Kentucky 5.9 mil

2025 purple level member flag link military_tech thumb_downthumb_up

Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date


Jun 24, 2024, 12:49 PM
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That’s not going to get it done against the top competition. Just look at the names ahead of Clemson on that list.

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We're a small market team, like many baseball franchises are. Unless or until

1

Jun 24, 2024, 1:34 PM
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a salary cap would come into play we'll always be like that. So the school and team will just have to spend wisely and hire well.

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Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date

1

Jun 24, 2024, 2:16 PM [ in reply to Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date ]
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With a few exceptions, the rankings of NIL correlate with natl rankings in many cases. Exceptions: USC, Colorado, SC, Auburn).

Looks like NIL payments will be as big or a bigger factor/correlator than high coaching salaries.

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Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date

1

Jun 24, 2024, 2:28 PM [ in reply to Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date ]
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I would love to know how they gathered this. Seeing as how even individual deals can’t be proven

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Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date

2

Jun 24, 2024, 12:33 PM
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I disagree with this assessment. Only Michigan writers are putting that out there. Watts has long kept details very close to his chest not tipping either way. Michigan is the one putting all that out there and several Clemson righters believe they are throwing darts. I really like where we sit on this one. His words about Michigan were as neutral as they come.

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Re: Clemson OL target sets commitment date

1

Jun 24, 2024, 2:48 PM
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We know Dabo concentrates NIL on retaining current players. We also know HS recruits get presented on what NIL looks like for current players. Dabo has a very selective process for filtering down to HS players they feel fit Clemson, so I suspect the recruits trust the info they are provided. Thus, my conclusion is that our current NIL retention funding is not stacking up well against other programs our targets choosing instead. I also suspect this pay for play market is escalating at a fast rate so if the NIL info represents last year then it’s probably already not keeping pace for what HS kids are getting lured with.

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Can't win the auctions if you don't have the money.***


Jun 24, 2024, 1:29 PM
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