The Clemson Insider reviews the defensive members of Clemson’s 2017 signing class:
Justin Foster, LB, Shelby, N.C. (Crest HS)
Ht/Wt: 6-4, 245
About Foster: A top-250 prospect by Scout, top-200 prospect by 247Sports and top-100 prospect by ESPN, Foster committed to Clemson on Oct. 10 at halftime of his game, choosing the Tigers over Georgia and Tennessee. Foster, who was rated by ESPN as the best player in North Carolina and the fifth-best player at his position, logged a career-best 83 tackles as a senior including 14 for loss and six sacks. He competed in two all-star games after the season, the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and the U.S. Army All-American Game. A three-year starter, Foster won two 3A state championships with Crest in 2014 and 2015. As a junior, he notched 67 tackles and 12 tackles for loss as he helped his team to an undefeated season. As a sophomore, he had 57 tackles and seven tackles for loss. Foster also played basketball, averaging 12 points per game as a junior and 10 per game as a sophomore. He is from the same area as former Clemson All-American defensive tackle Carlos Watkins.
Logan Rudolph, LB, Rock Hill, S.C. (Northwestern HS)
Ht/Wt: 6-3, 225
About Rudolph: Rudolph, the brother of Oklahoma State rising senior quarterback Mason Rudolph, was ranked as a consensus top-10 prospect in the state of South Carolina and ranked as highly as the No. 197 overall prospect nationally by Scout. Rudolph suffered a torn labrum in the second game of his senior season and missed the remainder of the year, but was outstanding the rest of his career. He posted 60 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks as a junior while adding an interception, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He doubled as a tight end and finished his career with 50 catches for 502 yards and three scores. He announced his commitment with a memorable video on May 6, 2016, that showed him chopping wood in jean shorts before choosing the Tigers. He played the first three years of his career under Kyle Richardson, who is now a defensive analyst at Clemson. Rudolph enrolled early in January.
Baylon Spector, LB, Calhoun, Ga. (Calhoun HS)
Ht/Wt: 6-1, 220
About Spector: Spector, who also enrolled in January, played all over the field for Calhoun High as a quarterback, running back and safety in addition to linebacker. He earned first-team all-state honors in the 3A classification as a senior after leading the team with 78 tackles, rushing for 788 yards and 13 touchdowns, and passing for 483 yards and three scores. As a junior, he had 63 tackles, 19 receptions for 378 yards and two scores. He completed 25 of 38 passes for 447 yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore to go with 71 tackles and an interception on defense. Perhaps the highlight of his career came that year when he threw a 40-yard touchdown pass on a double reverse in the state title game for what proved to be the winning score and that helped cap a 15-0 season. The son of former Clemson receiver Robbie Spector, who played under Danny Ford in the late 1980s, became the first commitment in Clemson’s 2017 class on Aug. 15, 2015.
A.J. Terrell, DB, Atlanta, Ga. (Westlake HS)
Ht/Wt: 6-2, 180
About Terrell: The No. 13 overall prospect by Rivals, Terrell is Clemson’s highest-rated signee by any service. He is a consensus top-10 prospect at his position and top-five prospect in Georgia by Rivals and 247. He was named the Class 7A Player of the Year by the Georgia Coaches Association after a senior season in which he tallied 53 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two interceptions and 13 pass breakups. He also earned first-team all-state honors by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and played in the Under Armour All-American Game. As a junior, he had 55 tackles, two interceptions and eight touchdowns, five of which occurred on receptions with the others coming via an interception return, fumble return and a kickoff return. He picked Clemson over Florida, Alabama and Georgia when he committed on Aug. 19, 2016.
Jordan Williams, DE, Virginia Beach, Va. (Cox HS)
Ht/Wt: 6-5, 260
About Williams: Williams was rated as a top-200 prospect and top-five prospect in the state of Virginia by Rivals and 247. The No. 135 overall player according to Rivals was named a first-team all-state performer at the highest level of high school football in Virginia as a senior after totaling 50 tackles, 17 for loss, three passes defended, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He also scored a touchdown on a recovery. As a junior, he had 39 tackles, 12.5 for loss and five sacks along with two interceptions, seven pass breakups, a caused fumble and two fumble recoveries. He committed to Clemson on Aug. 6, 2016, over Virginia, Virginia Tech and Tennessee.
LeAnthony Williams, DB, Atlanta, Ga. (Roswell HS)
Ht/Wt: 6-0, 175
About Williams: A consensus top-250 prospect nationally, Williams was rated as highly as the No. 111 overall prospect, No. 11 player in Georgia and No. 11 corner by Rivals. He had 42 tackles, five interceptions, five pass breakups and a fumble recovery as a senior to help Roswell appear in the 7A state championship game, where it lost in overtime to Grayson and fellow Clemson signee Chase Brice. Williams committed to Clemson on Feb. 22, 2015, over finalists Notre Dame, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida. He was a high school teammate of current Clemson linebacker Tre Lamar.