The center of the Nike Football universe will be just south of Clemson this weekend as the Atlanta area plays host to the SPARQ combine, Opening Regional and Elite 11.
On Sunday, TheClemsonInsider will be on hand at Buford High School for The Opening Regional and Elite 11. A number of notable Clemson targets are scheduled to participate.
Among the event’s headliners are 2016 Clemson commitments Zerrick Cooper and T.J. Chase.
Cooper won’t be the only quarterback on the TCI radar on Sunday, one of whom will be Opelika (Ala.) signal caller Jake Bentley. Clemson, Auburn, Duke and Miami have offered the 2017 prospect.
Chase, who’s making the trek up from the IMG Academy in Florida, is expected to be one of the favorites for billing as the top wide receiver.
A couple of notable 2017 wide receivers will also be in town, including Devon Hunter (Chesapeake, Virginia). Clemson has offered Hunter, who is considered by 247 as the top athlete in the country. Hilton Head’s Tyler Hamilton is also on the pre-camp roster.
With the running back spot in Clemson’s 2016 class already locked up, the focus turns to the 2017 and 2018 hauls. A couple of 2017 prospects will compete on Sunday: Trey Sermon (Marietta, Georgia) and Chase Hayden (Collierville, Tennessee). Sermon visited Clemson in the fall and Hayden was on campus earlier this month. Mateo Durant, a freshman from McCormick, rushed for over 1,900 yards and 25 touchdowns last season. He’s one of a handful of 2018 prospects slated to attend.
TCI will also get an in-person look at trio of 2016 offensive linemen with Clemson offers: E.J. Price, Luke Elder and Tyler Pritchett. Other notable offensive line prospects from the class include Brodarious Hamm, Adam Raschilla and Alex Smith.
Also at the event will be three 2016 defensive linemen with an offer from Clemson: Antwuan Jackson, Julian Rochester and Jordan Smith. Jackson and Rochester will contend with Derrick Brown for billing as the top defensive tackle at the event and Smith is certain to be among the best defensive ends.
Several linebackers from the Atlanta area will compete, including 2017 targets Breon Dixon (Peachtree Ridge) and Jaden Hunter (Westlake). So will Jeffrey Allison, a 2016 prospect from Langston Hughes.
LSU commitment Saivion Smith and Nygel Edmonds should headline the group of 2016 defensive backs. Perhaps the most loaded position from one class is the group of 2017 defensive backs, and there are plenty from the state of Georgia with offers from Clemson: Meshael Custis (Hampton), Isaiah Pryor (Lawrenceville), Richard LeCounte (Hinesville) and Jamyest Williams (Lawrenceville). Also, coming up from Hollywood, Florida is cornerback Stanford Samuels, who netted an offer from Clemson earlier this month.