Recruiting Forum Football Talk II

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#92,206
#92,206
Clemson receiver Amari Rodgers sat next to running back Travis Etienne at Clemson’s media day ahead of Monday’s national championship game and answered questions, while also doing some listening to what Etienne had to say.

Rodgers was taken aback by one comment that came out of the tailback’s mouth.

With Etienne set to return home to Louisiana, he was asked if he grew up an LSU fan.

“Early on, growing up, no,” Etienne responded. “I was a Tennessee fan. I was a fan of the Tennessee Volunteers.”


Rodgers, a Knoxville native, was stunned.


“You might have seen me, I was sitting beside him and I heard him say that. I looked over at him like, ‘Uh, what?’”

Etienne’s proclamation made him just the latest star on Clemson’s offense to admit to growing up a Tennessee fan. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, receivers Tee Higgins and Rodgers, and Etienne all dreamed of playing in a different shade of orange at one point.

“My mom’s family is from Tennessee, so growing up that’s the only thing I really knew was Tennessee football, watching them all the time,” said Lawrence, who wears No. 16 because it’s the number former Vols quarterback Peyton Manning wore at Tennessee.

Higgins and Rodgers are Tennessee natives and naturally grew up cheering for the Vols. Higgins was committed to Tennessee at one point, while Rodgers is the son of Tennessee legend Tee Martin.

“It was kind of one of those things where I feel like they expected me to go there because it was my hometown,” Rodgers said. “They didn’t really recruit me hard. They thought just because my dad went there I was gonna go there. That’s not what I wanted. I wanted to enjoy the process and go pick a school like anybody else.”


Etienne’s cousin, Janzen Jackson, played for Tennessee as Etienne was growing up, which played a role in him rooting for the Vols. Etienne considered Tennessee during the recruiting process but chose Clemson instead.

“I took my visit there and I just knew it wasn’t the place for me. Just really didn’t like the vibe,” Etienne said.

The four are a big reason why Clemson won last year’s national championship and is back in the title game again this season. Etienne has been named the ACC Player of the Year each of the past two years, while Higgins leads Clemson with 1,115 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.

Lawrence has passed for 3,431 yards and 36 scores and is expected to be the No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL Draft. Rodgers has started at Clemson each of the past two years and battled back from a torn ACL this spring to record 28 catches for 418 yards and four scores on the season entering Monday’s game.

If they were at Tennessee, chances are Tennessee’s program would be in a much better place.


Higgins, Rodgers and Etienne discussed the fact that the four grew up Tennessee fans on the plane ride to New Orleans for the title game.

“It really is crazy to think about it,” Higgins said. “When (Travis) said it me and Amari looked at him and was like, ‘Really?’ We were joking around like, ‘What if we would have went there? We could’ve been legends there like Amari’s dad.’ But we’re here at the national championship game and you can’t go wrong with that.”
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#92,217
#92,217
“I think a lot of people made a mistake in recruiting Derrick,” Saban told CBS. “A lot of people said, ‘We want to play you at outside linebacker. We want to play you at this…’ I said, “We want to play you at what you want to play.”

Saban discussing Derrick Henry.

I know another coach who has used that philosophy to recruit guys recently.
 
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#92,220
#92,220
Butch will go down as the main contributor of this program hitting rock bottom... Kiffin could only do so much damage in one year and Dooley now it seems was just too young and over his head... he didn't help us on the recruiting trail and pissed all the instate high school coaches off, but Lyle straight F'd us...
 
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